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Informist, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025

 

MUMBAI – Though farm operations such as harvesting and threshing remain the main reasons for harvest and post-harvest losses in pulses, storage losses in godowns have also increased significantly in the past few years, according to a study by the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, for the Department of Consumer Affairs. Improper handling of stored pulses, which are more sensitive than other food grains, and exposure to pests are among the key reasons for storage loss of pulses in godowns across the country, according to the study.

 

The study, titled, "Development of protocols for shelf life, safe storage, milling outturn and indicative norms for procurement of major pulses," pointed out that the storage of pulses is a more recent endeavour due to the government's decision to create a buffer stock of 2 million tonnes of pulses. However, the creation of a buffer stock requires huge investment by government agencies with infrastructural support, and cannot be stored in the same conditions as other food grains such as rice and wheat, it said.

 

Though the production of pulses in India has increased substantially over the last five years, it has not been sufficient to meet domestic demand, resulting in higher imports of the commodity, according to the study. "India is importing about 4-5 million tonnes of pulses annually, may be one of the reason of higher pulse prices in the Indian market," the study said. With a high dependence on imports, reducing losses in storage is becoming more imperative, it said.

 

The study tracked quality changes in chana, tur, urad, moong, and masur over a 12-month period to help establish national norms for shelf life, safe storage, and milling outturn.

 

High temperature, high relative humidity, high seed moisture content, light exposure, and an extended storage period have all been found to adversely affect the quality of pulses during storage, the study said. These factors may cause colour darkening in pulses and make them harder to cook and consume. The hard-to-cook defect is characterised by increased energy requirements for cooking, poor palatability, and reduced quality of protein. Pulses are also more vulnerable to storage insects and pests. Pest attacks, particularly in high humidity conditions, can cause severe losses of more than 40% within one month, it said. 

 

The level of moisture content in pulses, types of bags used for storage, and the environmental conditions in different parts of India also play a role in the life longevity of stored pulses, the study said. 

 

In order to curb storage losses, the study recommended that procurement of pulses should be done within one month of harvesting. Pulses should not be stored in the same godowns as other crops, particularly groundnut, due to high susceptibility to pest attacks, it said. All stacks, or bags of pulses, must be fumigated regularly to avoid insect movement in the storage space, the study said.

 

Fungal growth and lumps formation were observed even after only three to four months of storage of moong and urad with a moisture content of more than 12% in low-density polyethylene bags. The study recommended that the government only purchase pulses with less than or equal to 12% moisture content in all regions of India. Storage of pulses in the above-mentioned bags is also not substantial, and should be replaced by airtight polypropylene or plastic laminates of suitable thickness, it said.

 

The study also recommended storing pulses in regions with favourable climate conditions. Though pulses are only stored in a handful of states — including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh — the study showed that legumes stored in Rajasthan had very little to no infestation during the entire study period, which might be owing to the persistence of dry climatic conditions for longer duration. As such, the study recommended that parts of Rajasthan could be identified and developed as a hub for storing pulses.  End

 

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Nishant Maher

 

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