Grains, trains and automobiles

In addition to poor storage facilities, other factors related to grain circulation need to be addressed to prevent high levels of loss, according to He Yi, director of the department of distribution and science and technology at the State Administration of Grain. "In the grain circulation process, losses during transportation, processing and consumption are startling."

Grain is mainly transported in bags, but the poor quality of the bags and their frequent loading and unloading mean they often split, inevitably resulting in losses. Meanwhile, a shortage of purpose-built tankers means that grain transported on the back of trucks and covered with plastic sheeting is likely to be ruined.

In China, grain is usually transported from the northern regions to the south of the country. The lack of a sound logistics system often results in long delays and some of the produce is spoiled in transit.