evaluation of grain storage methods adopted by farmers

101 Pages·2012·1.23 MB·English

EVALUATION OF GRAIN STORAGE METHODS
ADOPTED BY FARMERS

Thesis submitted to the
University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE (AGRICULTURE)

IN

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION EDUCATION

BY

SHAILA S. HOSAKOTI

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION EDUCATION
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, DHARWAD
UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES,
DHARWAD – 580 005

JUNE, 2011
ADVISORY COMMITTEE

DHARWAD (S.S. DOLLI)
JUNE, 2011 MAJOR ADVISOR

Approved by :

Chairman : ____________________________
(S.S. DOLLI)

Members : 1. __________________________
(UMA S. HIREMATH)

2. __________________________
(J.G. ANGADI)

3. __________________________
(S.M. MUNDINAMANI)

4. __________________________
(S.G. ASKI)
CONTENTS

Sl. No. Chapter Particulars
CERTIFICATE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF PLATES
LIST OF APPENDICES
1. INTRODUCTION
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Different storage methods adopted by farmers
2.2 Extent of perceived loss of grains during the storage in
different methods
2.3 Factors contributing to the grain loss during storage
2.4 Farmers preferences for different storage methods
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design
3.2 Locale of the study
3.3 Brief description of the study area
3.4 Selection of taluks and villages
3.5 Selection of respondents
3.6 Operationalization and measurement of variables
3.8 Procedure followed for data collection
3.9 Statistical tools used

Contd.…..
Sl. No. Chapter Particulars
4. RESULTS
4.1 Profile characteristics of the respondents
4.2 Post harvest losses during threshing and transportation
4.3 Methods of grain storage adopted by farmers
4.4 Extent of grain loss and factors responsible for grain loss
4.5 Grain utilization pattern by farmers
4.6 Management practices adopted for safe storage of food grains
4.7 Cost of storage in different methods
4.8 Space available and utilization for storage of food grains
4.9 Preferences and reasons for storage methods
4.10 Problems faced during storage of food grains
5. DISCUSSION
5.1 Profile characteristics of the respondents

5.2 Post harvest losses during threshing and transportation
5.3 Methods of grain storage adopted by farmers
5.4 Extent of grain loss and factors responsible for grain loss
5.5 Grain utilization pattern by farmers
5.6 Management practices adopted for safe storage of food grains
5.7 Cost of storage in different methods
5.8 Space available and utilization for storage of food grains
5.9 Preferences and reasons for storage methods
5.10 Problems faced during storage of food grains
6. SUMMARY AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
REFERENCES
LIST OF TABLES

Table
Title
No.
1. Profile characteristics of the respondents
2. Extent of utilization of mass media by farmers
3. Extension contact of farmers
4. Organizational participation of farmers
5. Extent of training undergone by the farmers
6. Extent of post harvest losses during threshing and transportation
7. Method of storage of food grains by farmers
8. Extent of grain loss in different methods of storage
9. Perceived factors causing damage to food grains during storage
10. Grain utilization pattern by the farmers
11. Knowledge and adoption of post harvest management practices by
farmers
12. Distribution of respondents according to their knowledge level about
post harvest management practices of food grains
13. Distribution of respondents according to their adoption level of post
harvest management practices of food grains
14. Drying and cleaning of grains by farmers
15. Cost of storage in different methods
16. Space available and utilization for storage of different food grains
17. Type of space available for different food grains stored
18(a) Preferences for different storage methods by ‘Improved method
farmers’
18(b) Preferences for different storage methods by ‘Traditional method
farmers’
19. Reasons for preference of different storage structures
20. Problems faced by farmers during storage of food grains
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure
Title
No.
1. Profile characteristics of the respondents
2a. Extent of utilization of mass media by farmers adopting improved
method
2b. Extent of utilization of mass media by farmers adopting traditional
method
3. Extension contact of the respondents
4. Organizational participation of the respondents
5. Post-harvest loss of foodgrains during threshing
6. Post-harvest loss of foodgrains during transportation
7. Different methods of storage of food grains used by the farmers
8. Extent of grain loss in different methods of storage
9. Loss of food grains by different causal factors in different methods of
storage
10. Loss of food grains by different causal factors during storage
11. Grain utilization pattern by the farmers
12. Distribution of respondents according to their knowledge level about
post harvest management practices of food grains
13. Distribution of respondents according to their adoption level of post
harvest management practices of food grains
14. Loss of food grain during pre-store and post-storage operation
15. Storage loss of cereal grains and cost involved in different methods of
storage
16. Storage loss of pulse grains and cost involved in different methods of
storage
LIST OF PLATES

Plate
Title
No.
1. Two tonne capacity Pucca koti with two chambers
2 One tonne capacity Pucca koti with one chamber
3. Metal bins of 120 kg. capacity
4. Jowar grains stored in metal bin
5. Gunny bags kept on wooden plank
6. Gunny bags kept on waste fertilizer bags
LIST OF APPENDIX

Appendix
Title
No.
1. Interview schedule
1. INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is one of the strong holds of the Indian economy and accounted for 14.2
per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010-11, according to the Central
Statistical Organization’s (CSO) estimates. As a result of strategic approach followed after
independence, the food grain production which remained at 51 million tonnes in 1951 has
impressively gone up to 234 million tonnes in 2008-2009 (Chahal, 2011). The per capita
availability of food grains which remained less than 400 gm/day in the past has reached
beyond 500 gm/day in recent peak production years. It is evident that food grain production
growth so for is competitive with the population growth in the country. The current buffer stock
of food grains oscillates around 60 million tonnes. However, new problems such as widening
gap in demand and supply in pulses and oilseeds, stagnancy in the productivity of wheat and
rice in major producing states, the ever increasing population growth and the liberalized trade
of agricultural commodities have posed greater challenges to food and nutrition security of
Indian population.
The post harvest losses of food grains and oilseeds are estimated to be 10 to 20 per
cent while that of different horticultural crops vary from 15 to 50 per cent (Chahal, 2011) in
developing countries including India. The bulk of these losses occur during storage for most
of the commodities. The storage losses are due to biotic factors such as rodents, insects and
pests; micro biological factors such as fungi and bacteria. Chemical factors resulting in loss of
colour, flavour, texture and nutrient value and most importantly abiotic or mechanical factors
due to faulty storage structures.
India is experiencing colossal losses of food grains in storage. In 2010, as per official
reports, loss of 11,700 tonnes of food grains was reported to have occurred in the
government godowns. In a surplus producing state like Punjab alone, out of procurement
during 2008-09 and 2009-10, loss of 48,000 tonnes wheat was reported to have rotten, the
stock which is enough to feed around five lakh people for a year (Chahal, 2011). The actual
food grain losses were however estimated much higher than the official figures in many
reports. About 21-22 million tonnes of food grains per annum are lost at the present level of
production in India, which values to 33-35 thousand crore rupees. In addition, about 10 per
cent loss of oilseeds on similar line amounts to 3 million tonnes which in monitory terms
amounts to 6 thousand crore rupees.
At farmers level also about 10 per cent of the grain that reaches the consumers, after
hard labour of farmers and use of scarce capital resources, is lost due to faulty and
unhygienic storage conditions. The farmers either store the grains in bags which are costly
and not rodent proof or in rooms in open heaps or underground stores. Some farmers store
the grains in storage structures like metal bins, wooden bins and cement bins. However, they
store the grains without giving due importance to air tightness of the structure and other
sanitation aspects. The farmers store their produce for own consumption, for sale at some
later date or for seed purposes. There is a need to develop cost effective and user friendly
mode of storage technologies and transfer it to farmers for skilful storage to avoid quantitative
and qualitative losses during storage.
Improved storage structures play a major role in minimizing the losses in post harvest
stages. The traditional storage structures which the farmers use do not give adequate
protection against the various factors responsible for spoilage of food grains.
Efforts have been made to develop suitable methods of grain storage and educate
the farmers on post harvest management. The department of food and public distribution
launched country wide programme, called save grain campaign. The main objectives of the
save grain campaign was to create awareness of grain storage management and popularize
improved methods like Pucca koti and metal bins. These programmes are carried out by 17
offices located in different parts of the country in collaboration with the developmental
departments of respective states. Demonstrations were carried out on various improved
techniques of storage and preservation to impart skills to farmers and traders to show the
effectiveness of the recommended techniques. The extension activities to educate farmers on
identification of damages, disinfection of food grains, rat control measures in houses, rat
burrow fumigation, rat proofing of storage places, moisture proofing techniques, improvement
of existing storage structures and use of metal bin and non metal bins were conducted under
the programme. The non metal bins include Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) ring bins,
reinforced brick bins, training courses with special emphasis on farm level storage to the
lower level functionaries of the state Governments and representatives of farm and trade
communities were also organized. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Central Warehouse
Cooperative (CWC) conduct in–service training courses to their employees. Central Food
Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) conducts specialised training programmes on pest
control techniques and pesticide residue analysis. Recently, Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) funded project on “Consolidation of food security in south India,
was implemented in selected areas of south India. The project had adopted cluster of villages
to educate farmers on post harvest management. The project was implemented by UAS
Dharwad in northern district of Karnataka during 2003-2008. The project was able to establish
improved storage methods at farmers level.
The Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) estimates that global food production
need to increase more than 40 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2050 compared to
average 2005-07. Clearly, a large part of the consumption will happen in India and China.
This would require an additional 1.6 billion hectares of land to be brought in to cultivation
compared to the current 1.4 billion hectares being cultivated now. There is little scope for
bringing more area under cultivation which means clearly that we need to produce more from
the available land, and minimise post harvest losses. This signifies the importance of grain
storage to reduce losses. Reduction in loss of the grains increases the income level of the
farmers as well. With increasing food grain requirement to the growing population of India,
adoption of improved storage methods to reduce the losses would contribute to the food
security. However farmers have been adopted traditional method for storage of grains of
different crops.
The efforts made till now have resulted in motivating the famers to adopt storage
practices however the programmes has been well taken up only in certain areas in the
country and intensified efforts are also needed in other areas.
Though several studies have been conducted on post harvest management and grain
losses during storage, no systematic attempt have been made to evaluate grain storage
methods adopted by the farmers, management practices and grain losses. Hence it was felt
necessary to evaluate the different storage methods adopted by farmers and grain losses
during storage. In this background, the study was conducted with the following objectives.
1. To document the different storage methods adopted by farmers
2. To measure extent of perceived loss of grains during the storage in different methods
3. To ascertain factors contributing to the grain loss during storage
4. To study farmers preferences for different storage methods
Significance of the study
The study brings out efficiency of different methods of grain storage and
corresponding loss in relation to management practices adopted by farmers. Based on the
results suitable methods at farmers level can be recommended. The causes of grain loss
during storage help to design extension programme to bring change at farmers level. It also
provides scope for researchable area to reduce the grain losses during storage. Thus the
results of the study are expected to be useful to local extension agencies, researcher and
concerned agencies to extend their efforts to help the farmers in technology generation and
dissemination of information. It provides scope to re-orient the strategies of food grain storage
and emphasis on items of immediate relevance which can lead to large scale adoption of
improved practices, which ultimately help to eliminate wastage, loss and quality deterioration
of grains during storage.
Limitations of the study
The researcher had limited time and resources at her disposal, considerable care and
thought was exercised in making the study as objective and systematic as possible.
It may however, be recognized that the findings of this study are most applicable to
Haveri and Dharwad districts where the study was conducted or to the areas where similar
conditions exists.