The Union Cabinet approved the constitution and empowerment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for facilitation of the “world’s largest grain storage plan in cooperative sector”.
It will be done by convergence of various schemes of the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Food Processing Industries.
To ensure timely and uniform implementation of the plan in a professional manner, the Ministry of Cooperation would implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts of different States.
This strategic approach will provide valuable insights into regional requirements, enabling the integration of local needs into the nationwide implementation of the programme.
The committee will be chaired by Cooperation and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The committee will lay guidelines for creation of infrastructure such as godowns, for agriculture and allied purposes, at selected ‘viable’ Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
The plan would be implemented by utilising the available outlays provided under the identified schemes of the respective Ministries.
Need of it
Lack of agricultural storage capacity leads to wastage of food grains and farmers are forced to sell their crops at low prices.
Benefits
Farmers will now get modern grain storage facilities in their blocks through PACS, so that they will be able to get fair price for their grains.
The country will get food security.
Crores of farmers associated with cooperatives will be benefited.
Farmers could sell their crops to PACS by receiving some advance payment at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and get the balance after the PACS sold the food grains in the market.
Cooperatives will have the opportunity to establish decentralised storage facilities across the country.
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