What a contrast to watch millions hungry and dying and still having reports about the bumper harvest each and every year? What’s the point in being the food basket of the world and yet unable to feed your own countrymen? Why millions remain hungry and yet we are an agro-based economy?
Just a few years ago, India permitted 100% FDI in cold chain storage which is encouraging and positive outlook on the way we are looking at things now. The opening up of FDI in retail with the clause of 50% obligatory investment in backend infrastructure will be quite helpful in overcoming the supply chain inefficiencies. Activities like processing, manufacturing, distribution, design improvement, quality control, packaging, logistics, storage, ware-house, agriculture market produce infrastructure etc. come as the part of backend infrastructure. Outlays like land cost and rentals, if any, will not be counted for backend infrastructure.
At present, lack of education at farm level and obsolete means of production coupled with deficiency of requisite infrastructure have further contributed to shorter shelf life of the product and enlarged wastages. Globally retailers are likely to bring in superior technology; knowledge and years of understanding which ought to go a long way in dealing with these discrepancies.
Recent technological innovations promise to bring out the desired changes in storing of food grains at warehouse facilities around the country. Predictive analytics can be a useful resource to avoid wastage of food grains. It can play a huge role in preventing wastage of food grains and ensuring efficiency in the public distribution system which in turn would ensure availability across India.
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