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Source: The post is based on the article “World’s Largest Food/ Grain Storage Plan” published in PIB on 1st August 2023.
What is the News?
The Minister of Cooperation has informed Lok Sabha about the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector”.
What is the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector?
Aim: To create various agri infrastructure at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level, including warehouses, custom hiring center, processing units, Fair Price Shops, etc. by leveraging the ‘whole-of-Government’ approach.
Funding: The plan will be implemented by the convergence of 8 schemes:
– Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM).
– Ministry of Food Processing Industries: Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
– Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: Allocation of food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Procurement operations at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Monitoring body: Ministry of Cooperation has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) with Minister of Cooperation as its chairman and Ministers and Secretaries of Ministries concerned as its members for smooth and effective implementation of the Plan.
Implementing agency: National Cooperative Development Corporation(NCDC) with the support of NABARD, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), Food Corporation of India (FCI) etc is implementing the Pilot Project in 24 PACS of 24 different States/ UTs.
Expected Benefits of the Project: The creation of decentralized storage capacity ranging from 500 MT to 2000 MT at PACS level would reduce food grain wastage by creating sufficient storage capacity, strengthen food security of the country, prevent distress sale of crops and enable farmers to realize better prices for their crops.
