Shillong, July 20: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) North East Frontier Region (NEFR) is making special efforts to increase storage space capacity since go-down capacity creation in the private sector is a big challenge in the hilly states.
The FCI NEFR which looks after Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram has taken steps in creating storage space through various programmes of the government of India.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday, FCI (NEF) general manager, Sudesh Kumar Yadav informed that as of July 1, 2020, all the three states were having only 87,000 MT storage capacity with FCI or Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) adding that it has now increased to 1,06,296 MT.
He further informed that as on July 1, 2023, the storage capacity 1,22,636 MT and it means 40% additional capacity has been added in all the three states despite two years of COVID period.
“We are in the process of further building up around 88000 MT capacities in the three States. We have created 26,500 MT capacity in Meghalaya itself and it is already in construction through a private party. The total capacity augmentation would be around 150% in a span of hardly three years if the efforts in all the three states fructify,” Yadav said.
Informing that FCI is trying to build the capacity, he further stated that they were trying to utilize the vacant areas of the FCI Godowns to build up the Godown capacity in those idle land areas.
According to him, they will also be exploring cold storage and other things in these vacant areas so that commercial use of those idle resources can be done on a profit sharing basis.
He further informed that there was an effort to create additional infrastructure development in all the three states particularly Meghalaya.
FCI (NEF) general manager said that the farmers of Meghalaya would be benefitted if the cold storage was created as they would be able to keep their agricultural produce.
“I think we can have an additional benefit beyond that food grain. With the help of CWC they will also take up the cold storage facility where it is feasible,” Yadav stated.
It may be mentioned that Meghalaya has storage capacity of 39326 MT at present.
In the past one year 2500 MT at Baghmara, South Garo Hills, 5000 MT at Byrnihat, Ri Bhoi District and 5000 MT at Sohryngkham, Shillong, East Khasi hills district was augmented and additional godowns are under construction with a capacity of 5000 MT at Sohryngkham, Shillong, East Khasi hills district and 2500 MT at Tura. Further tenders have been invited under PEG Scheme for construction of godowns at Mendipathar (5000 MT), Noingstion (5000 MT), Khliehriat (2500 MT), Sohra (3340 MT) and Zikzak block (3340 MT).
Meanwhile, FCI (NEF) general manager said that they had distributed additional food grains through Pradhan Mantri Gram Kalyan Yojana free of cost to all the beneficiaries who are getting benefit of other schemes of government of India.
He further stated that the government has again continued its special efforts to release stocks of rice and wheat under open market scheme by way of an auction so that wheat and rice prices remain in check for the benefit of the citizens and customers.
Yadav informed that the second phase of e-auction for sale of wheat and rice was started from 28-06-2023.
According to him, FCI is expecting to benefit the consumers and general public at large scale thereby expecting more participation from the local empaneled (registered) buyers in the upcoming auctions.
He further informed that the tender would be published on every Friday and the auction would be conducted on succeeding Wednesday in the weeks ahead.
As far as the auction of wheat, he said that the FCI was offering much more stocks than actual potential of that private party’s lifting.
According to him, they were releasing at least four times to five times the actual requirement of wheat in the open market.
“As far as rice we have auctioned 7500 metric ton and 10 metric ton has been lifted by private parties under open market sale scheme,” FCI (NEF) general manager added.
It may be mentioned that FCI offers pre-defined quantity of Rice to the flour mills / bulk buyers / private traders / manufacturers of rice products with minimum quantity of 10 MT to maximum of 1000 MT per bidder and wheat shall be offered to processors / atta chalki / flour millers of wheat products with minimum quantity of 10 MT to maximum of 100 MT per bidder, but traders are not allowed for wheat purchase.
Bidders shall be allowed in a state against the Trade tax registration/ GST registered in that state only.