Syllabus: GS-III & V: Agriculture 

Why in the news?

In Assam — a state where paddy is not just a crop but a social indicator of wealth and status — the harvest is under threat not in the fields, but in the post-harvest handling. While yields have increased, the lack of adequate drying, storage and moisture-control systems is silently eroding incomes, food quality and livelihoods.

What is the issue?

Paddy, when harvested with moisture content above 14 %, becomes vulnerable to moulds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium, which can produce mycotoxins — harmful to human health. In humid states like Assam where relative humidity often exceeds 70%, traditional methods such as sun-drying, mud bins and jute sacks are grossly inadequate.

Key facts & figures:

• A study in Assam found post-harvest losses in paddy at around 2.55 quintals per hectare (≈ 7.74 %) on average.
• Another national assessment estimated about 10 % of foodgrains lost in processing and storage.
• In Assam’s value chain, gaps include drying, proper moisture testing, and storage infrastructure.
• The result: Many farmers are forced to sell high-moisture paddy at below the Minimum Support Price, as procurement is largely bypassed.
  

Why is Assam particularly vulnerable?

• Climatic factors: High humidity, monsoon rains, erratic weather make sun-drying unreliable.
• Infrastructure gap: Unlike Punjab and Haryana which have large organised drying, storage and procurement systems, Assam lacks the network of regulated mandis and decentralised drying/storage facilities.
• Procurement disadvantage: States with strong mandis get state procurement at MSP; Assam’s farmers have little access and hence face distress sales.
• Cultural and economic dimension: In Assam a farmer’s social standing is often tied to the granary’s fullness; the silent loss of paddy thus also has social implications.
  

What are the policy and institutional instruments?

• Assam Agricultural University and other research institutions have developed region-specific solutions: solar bubble dryers, moisture meters, hermetic storage bags.
• Central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and the Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) support infrastructure, but focus on drying/storage in high-humidity states needs strengthening.
• Integration of moisture control into procurement criteria, storage-godown retrofitting, fumigation and aeration support can help reduce spoilage.
  

What needs to be done?

• Set up decentralised drying centres near farming clusters, to ensure grain is brought down to safe moisture (≈ 14 %) before storage.
• Encourage use of moisture meters and hermetic bags among small/marginal farmers via subsidies and training.
• Strengthen extension services through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and farmer cooperatives to deliver hands-on training.
• Integrate post-harvest loss-reduction targets into state agricultural planning and public procurement frameworks.
  

Why does this matter?
If post-harvest losses continue unchecked, then even increases in yield may fail to translate into increased income, food security and rural resilience — especially under the spectre of climate change. For Assam, protecting what is harvested is as important as raising what is grown.

Exam Hook – Key Takeaways

• Understand that post-harvest handling (drying, storage, moisture control) is a critical link in the rice value-chain, especially in humid zones like Assam.
• Recognise how climate, infrastructure and institutional support interact to influence farmer incomes and grain quality.
• Policy implication: Addressing losses requires both technology (dryers, hermetic bags, moisture meters) and organisation (procurement, cooperative-based storage, extension support).
  

Mains Question
“Examine how post-harvest moisture mismanagement in paddy cultivation undermines food security, farmer incomes and procurement policy in Assam. Suggest measures to strengthen the post-harvest value-chain in the State.”

One-line wrap:
Protecting the granary in Assam means drying, measuring and storing smart — because what is left behind after harvest can determine the farmer’s future.

SOURCE