ICAR and FCI signs MoU for Safe and Sustainable Foodgrain Storage

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 30, 2026, to research alternative fumigation technologies for safe and sustainable management of storage pests in wheat and rice. Supported by the Department of Food & Public Distribution, the two-year Phase-I project will be implemented by ICAR–Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana. The initiative aims to address pest resistance, worker safety hazards, and ecological risks associated with traditional chemicals like aluminium phosphide and malathion by standardizing commercial uses of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, and a combination of carbon dioxide and phosphine.