Transit Losses
FCI lost 50,000 tn of foodgrain in transit, 5,000 tn in storage in Apr-Dec
This story was originally published at 17:01 IST on 16 January 2026
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NEW DELHI – The Food Corp. of India lost 50,000 tonnes of foodgrain in transit during Apr-Dec, data from the government agency showed. This accounts for 0.16% of the 30.68 million tonnes of food grains, such as rice and wheat, transported across the country during Apr-Dec, largely from surplus to deficit regions.
Transit losses for Apr-Dec are in line with the corporation's target of limiting transportation losses to 0.17% in FY26. Transit losses, according to 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 73,000 tonnes, or 0.17%, of the 42.4 million tonnes of food grains during transportation. Over the decades, transit losses have declined due to improvements in handling and monitoring, from 1.7% in 1990 to 0.3% in 2015.
During Apr-Dec, FCI reported net storage losses of 5,000 tonnes, after accounting for both storage losses and gains. The loss was 0.01% of the 58.66 million tonnes of foodgrain the corporation received for storage. FCI has set a target to achieve 47,000 tonnes of storage gains while carrying wheat, and for rice, FCI aims to limit storage losses to 10,000 tonnes in FY26.
Storage gains typically occur due to weight gain in grains such as wheat, which is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture. However, rice tends to lose moisture during storage, resulting in net weight loss, according to FCI. In FY25, the corporation recorded storage gains of 66,000 tonnes, or 0.08%, of the 80.5 million tonnes received. End
Reported by Afra Abubacker
Edited by Saji George Titus
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