Raipur, Jan. 14 -- Amid misleading claims circulating in some quarters regarding paddy losses due to shrinkage and pest damage during storage, the Government of Chhattisgarh has clarified that such losses are neither irregular nor indicative of mismanagement.

According to Chhattisgarh CMO, the moisture reduction during storage, known as "shrinkage" is a natural and technically unavoidable physical process that has existed for decades across all rice-producing states of India.

Official government records show that shrinkage during the Kharif Marketing Year 2019-20 stood at 6.32 percent, while in 2020-21 it was recorded at 4.17 percent. These figures clearly demonstrate that storage shrinkage is not a recent phenomenon or the result of an...