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Informist, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – The Food Corp. of India lost 32,000 tonnes of foodgrain worth INR 1.14 billion in transit during the first five months of of 2025-26 (Apr–Mar), data from the government agency showed. This accounts for 0.17% of the 18.9 million tonnes of foodgrain transported across the country during the period, largely from surplus to deficit regions.

 

Transit losses, as per FCI, arise due to multiple handling, spillage, theft en route, poor railway infrastructure, and fluctuations in temperature and moisture during transportation. In FY25, FCI lost 0.17% of stocks moved, or 73,000 tonnes of foodgrain worth INR 2.36 billion. Transit losses have declined over the decades from 1.7% in 1990 to 0.3% in 2015, highlighting improvements in handling and monitoring.

 

FCI procured 30.1 million tonnes of wheat in the 2025-26 rabi marketing season that concluded in June. Meanwhile, the government procured 53.1 million tonnes of rice in the nine-month period ended June.

 

Apart from transit losses, FCI also reported storage losses of 17,000 tonnes worth INR 954.5 million as of August. This was 0.05% of the 33.5 million tonnes of foodgrain stored in government-owned godowns. The 17,000-tonne is a net number after accounting for both storage losses and gains, an FCI official had clarified to Informist earlier.

 

In contrast, the corporation recorded storage gains of 66,000 tonnes, or 0.08%, against 80.5 million tonnes stored in 2024-25. Storage gains typically occur due to weight gain in grains like wheat, which is hygroscopic in nature and absorbs moisture. However, rice tends to lose moisture during storage, resulting in net weight loss, according to FCI. End

 

Reported by Pallavi Singhal

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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