Supply Chain Optimisation & TPDS Reform in Uttarakhand

The opportunity

The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) plays a crucial role in reducing food insecurity and is the cornerstone of the government’s food and nutrition security policy framework. An efficient, modern, digitally optimised supply chain of the distribution system can improve access and, eventually nutritional outcomes among the beneficiaries, besides reducing operational costs.

 

The solution

The WFP Trust for India, along with the Uttarakhand Government in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D), is working on analysing and developing models for the optimisation models for TPDS. The focus is on the supply chain to understand potential areas of improvement like reducing storage losses and use of mobile applications for data collection. including geo-referencing data.

The project also aims to support the end-to-end computerisation of TPDS with a special focus on the implementation of Point of Sale (PoS) devices for beneficiary authentication.

 

The Impact

Working on its agenda of providing technical insights and capacity building for strengthening existing food safety networks, WFP Trust for India in collaboration with IIT Delhi, has been able to support the development of solutions and interfaces for supply chain optimization in the state of Uttarakhand.

 

Some of the key impact areas for the project are:

Supply chain optimization of the entire Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) network for the reduction in the cost of transportation.

Use of Mobile Storage Units for reduction of storage losses as an alternate mechanism for the storage of grains.

The use of Mobile Data Collection and Analysis Application (MDCA), which uses both an online and offline model, collates data that can be customized as per requirements.

Use of a mobile app for data collection including georeferencing data of the entire supply chain of the TPDS in the state.

Support in the End-to-End (EtE) computerization of TPDS with a special focus on the implementation of Point of Sale devices for beneficiary authentication.

 

Mobile Storage Unit (MSU):

One of the emerging areas of concern for both the Government and farmers has been the limited availability of covered space for the storage of food grains across the country. The situation is further aggravated by the year-on-year accumulation of surplus grains under the Central Pool and during the harvesting seasons of Rabi and Kharif.

To compensate for the lack of adequate storage, farmers, procurement agencies, and States, therefore have to rely on Open storage or Cover and Plinth storage (CAP) techniques. When using Open or CAP storage, there is a much higher risk of losses due to the climatic conditions (rain, heat, and snow) as well as pest and rodent infestations which renders grains unfit for human consumption.

However, the greatest impact is on the farmers, as it leads to large post-harvest losses, resulting in reduced income.

Recently, a Mobile Storage Unit (MSU) was established in Haridwar that provides an alternate mechanism for storing grains as a replacement to Cover and Plinth (CAP) storage or open storage especially during procurement season at mandis and in rainfed and snow-fed areas.