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Informist, Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

NEW DELHI – Food Corp. of India lost 68,000 tonnes of foodgrains in transit in 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), data from the government agency showed. This accounts for 0.17% of the 40.38 million tonnes of food grains, mainly rice and wheat, transported by the agency during the year. The FCI procures food grains and transports them across the country, mainly from surplus regions to deficit ones.

Transit losses in FY26 are in line with the corporation's target of limiting such losses to 0.17% of the transported grains in 2025-26. In 2024-25, FCI lost 73,000 tonnes, or 0.17% of the 42.4 million tonnes of foodgrains transported.

Over the decades, transit losses have declined due to improvement in handling and monitoring, from 1.67% in 1990 to 0.17% now. Transit losses occur due to multiple handling, spillage, theft en route, poor railway infrastructure, and fluctuations in temperature and moisture during transportation, according to FCI. 

According to a government official, the Department of Food and Public Distribution is reviewing the data on foodgrains lost in FY26 and is likely to set a revised target for FY27. 

In FY26, FCI reported a net storage gain of 13,000 tonnes, after accounting for both storage losses and gains. The net gain was 0.02% of the 79.28 million tonnes of foodgrain the corporation received for storage. The government had set a target of achieving 47,000 tonnes of storage gains while carrying wheat and aims to limit storage losses for rice at 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 net storage gains of 66,000 tonnes, or 0.08% of the 80.50 million tonnes of food grains received. End

Reported by Afra Abubacker

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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