WORLD'S
LARGEST GRAIN STORAGE PLAN - GOVERNANCE
News:
World’s largest grain
storage plan: Centre to implement pilot project in 10 districts
What's
in the news?
●
The Union Cabinet approved a programme
worth Rs 1 lakh crore aimed at
establishing the largest grain storage capacity in the cooperative sector
worldwide.
Key
takeaways:
●
Union Minister highlighted that while the
country's food grain production stands at around 3,100 lakh tonnes, the existing storage capacity only accounts for
47 percent of the total output.
●
In contrast, developed economies maintain
storage capacities that exceed their output levels.
Grain
Storage Plan:
Aim:
●
To curb crop damages, prevent distress
sales by farmers, and bolster the country's food security.
Budget:
●
The program will commence with an initial
expenditure of approximately Rs 1 lakh crore.
Features:
●
A storage facility with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes will be
established in each block, contributing to the strengthening of the
cooperative sector.
●
It will allow Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to venture into food
grain storage.
○
Currently, there are around 1 lakh PACS in
the country, of which approximately 63,000 are operational.
Storage
Capacity:
●
Currently, the total grain storage
capacity in India is about 1,450 lakh tonnes. With the establishment of an
additional 700 lakh tonnes of storage capacity in the cooperative sector, the
overall capacity will reach 2,150 lakh tonnes.
Nodal
Ministry: Ministry
of Cooperatives
Inter-Ministerial
Committee Formed For Facilitation:
●
The IMC will be chaired by the Minister of Cooperation, with the Minister of
Agriculture, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,
Minister of Food Processing Industries, and relevant secretaries serving as
members.
●
The committee will modify guidelines and
implementation methodologies of the respective ministries schemes to facilitate
infrastructure development, such as godowns, for agricultural and allied
purposes at selected viable Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.
Pilot
Project:
●
To ensure timely and uniform
implementation of the plan, the Ministry of Co-operatives will initiate a pilot
project in at least 10 selected
districts across different states and union territories.
●
The insights gained from this pilot
project will inform the nationwide implementation of the plan, taking into
account regional requirements.
Significance:
●
Creation of decentralized storage facilities at the local level, which will
reduce food grain wastage and enhance the country's food security.
●
It will significantly reduce transportation costs incurred in the movement of food grains
to procurement centres and subsequent transportation from warehouses to ration
shops.