Storage Methods

The most popular kind of grain accommodations are silos. There are 4 main silos in India located in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Hapur. Grain from fields is transported here in order to be stored until the time of distribution. Silos were earlier made of weak substances such as wood and were not of such a large size, but now, they are made of cement, iron, or steel to prevent rusting.

*** Question - Why can’t grain be stored in bulk by the farmer on the farm ?
*** Answer - The reason is that a farmer lacks sufficient equipment for storage. The grain may be exposed to open air on the farm and this may affect its quality due to weather conditions like rain and fog. Microbes from the air have easy access to food and can cause spoilage of the grain.  Grain may be lost due to an accidental fire too. Therefore, the crop should be thoroughly dried and only then conserved in efficient equipment.

Problems associated with using silos include -

1. Machinery can cause sparks- in dry and dusty conditions this can lead to fires or even explosions
2. Since they are very difficult to fill, machines are used which are dangerous to operate
3. Elevated work platforms and long ladders pose the risk of falling
4. silos take up a considerable amount of space and require time and money to be invested

Mr. R. Prabhakar, Retired Deputy Director of Agriculture says -
“In India during olden days, there were two types of grain storage devices, called grain bins. The first one is shaped slightly like an upside down cone made of coiled bamboo. It is covered with a paste of cow dung and clay to make it airtight. It is kept upon a platform about two feet above the ground made of wood. A small opening is left at the bottom to allow the grain stored inside to be scooped out.

The second one uses the same concept but its body is made of metal instead of bamboo. This is more advantageous as it completely rules out the chances of contact with moisture, loss due to fire accidents and attack by rodents. The bamboo ones are also considered weaker as creatures like rats can easily enter and eat the grains. The bamboo bins are also prone to getting completely destroyed in case of fire. One more slightly inefficient method is a large container made of finely woven grass. This has a capacity of about 50 bags of grain. It is porous, which allows contact with air and is also prone to loss due to fire or rodent infestation.

Nowadays, as infrastructure has developed, farmers store their produce in large godowns which are constructed at an elevation of about 3 feet from the ground. The grains are periodically sprayed with chemicals to avoid loss due to pests “