ICAR and FCI Sign MoU for Alternative Grain Fumigation Research
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 30 September 2026 to undertake research on alternative fumigation technologies for safe and sustainable management of storage pests in wheat and rice. The initiative is supported by the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
Research Focus and Implementation
The two-year Phase-I project will be implemented by ICAR–Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) in Ludhiana. The research aims to address severe challenges caused by decades of reliance on aluminium phosphide (ALP) and malathion for post-harvest pest control, which has led to pest resistance frequencies reaching 72-100% in key Indian states and escalating fumigation cycles that increase operational costs. Current chemical methods also pose significant respiratory threats to workers and long-term ecological risks.
Phase-I Trial Specifications
The initiative will standardize the commercial use of three alternative methods: nitrogen gas (>99%) fumigation for pest management in wheat stored in metal silos; combined carbon dioxide and phosphine gas fumigation for controlling storage pests in wheat and rice stored in bags at FCI/CWC warehouses; and carbon dioxide fumigation for managing storage pests in wheat and rice in bags enclosed in hermetic covers.
Project Phasing and Objectives
Following the two-year Phase-I pilot, Phase-II will expand into a one-year multi-location trial across varied agro-climatic zones to establish region-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The overall objective is to develop scientifically validated, scalable, and sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical fumigation that address concerns related to increasing pest resistance, occupational exposure, environmental impacts, and fumigant residues.
Signing Ceremony Attendees
The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. M. L Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR; Dr. Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Engineering); Dr. D.K. Yadav, Deputy Director General (Crop Science); and Dr. K. Narsaiah, Assistant Director General (Processing Engineering). The document was signed by Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director, ICAR-CIPHET and Dr. A.K. Sinha, Executive Director (Quality Control), FCI. The event was also attended by Ms. Priya Jacob, Director, DFPD; Sh. Rajagopal, General Manager QC-FCI; Dr. Devinder Dhingra, Principal Scientist, ICAR; Dr. Sandeep Mann, Principal Scientist and Lead Investigator of project, ICAR-CIPHET; Shri Gautam Kumar, Deputy General Manager (Quality Control), FCI; Sh. CP Saharan and Ms. Sarika Pritam, Assistant General Manager (Quality Control), FCI.