Millions of tons of grain are wasted annually in China due to poor transportation conditions and storage.

State Administration of Grain official Chen Yuzhong said the country wastes 35 million tons of grain yearly which can already feed about 200 million citizens. Chen said the waste of grain is very shameful and would need immediate action to prevent losses and further waste. He also added the waste of grain is more than the actual consumption of people in the country.

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Chen also added transportation procedures and inadequate storage has already caused 27.5 million tons of grain losses. He said excessive grain processing has led to 7.5 million tons of losses.

The major producers of grain in the country include Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Henan and Shandong, according to the State Administration of Grain. The administration said around 35 million tons of grain do not have facilities for proper storage.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported only 3% out of the 210 million farming households in China have proper grain storage facilities.

Chen said if farmers have facilities to properly store grain, 20 million tons of it would not be put to waste. He also added that about 8.2 million grain storage tools would be given to farmers in 26 different places in the country. This would lead to saving about 1 million tons of grain.

Chen also added that between 2016 and 2020 more barns would be built to store more grain.

Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture deputy director Zhao Lijun said the World Food Day theme in China to be held on Thursday would be centered on saving food. The department also calls for the cooperation of all sectors across China to combat food waste.

Chief engineer Wang Lirong of the State Administration of Grain said, companies should also avoid too much grain processing to prevent added waste. He also added whiter rice does not mean it contains more nutrients. However, consumers nowadays opt to buy whiter rice resulting to excessive grain processing.

TagsState Administration of Grain, Chen Yuzhong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, shandong