New Delhi: India has recently approved the constitution of an InterMinisterial Committee (IMC) to facilitate the “world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector”.
It will be rolled out as a pilot project to revolutionize agricultural infrastructure and empower farmers.
The plan focuses on creating godowns and other agricultural infrastructure at the level of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to strengthen food security, reduce wastage, and empower farmers by enabling them to realize better prices for their crops.
At present, India has a foodgrain storage capacity of 145 million metric tonnes (MMT) against the total food production of 311 MMT—leaving a gap of 166 MMT. In the absence of sufficient storage facilities, foodgrains are sometimes stored in the open, which results in damage, reported Indian Express.
Emphasizing the strength of cooperatives, this transformative plan aligns with the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” (Cooperation for Prosperity).
Leveraging the potential of over 1,00,000 PACS, the plan seeks to create decentralized storage capacity and essential infrastructure to enhance the economic viability of PACS and boost India’s agricultural sector. India has over 1,00,000 PACS with a vast membership of over 13 crore farmers. Given their significant role in the agricultural landscape, the plan seeks to empower PACS by creating decentralized storage capacity and other necessary infrastructure.
India, the most populous country in the world, accounts for 18 percent (1.4 billion) of the global population (7.9 billion). However, it accounts for only 11 percent (160 million hectares) of the arable land (1,380 million hectares) in the world. Also, India runs the world’s largest food program under the National Food Security Act, 2013, which covers about 81 crore people. Therefore, to ensure the food security of a billion-plus population, a robust network of foodgrain storage facilities becomes essential, explained Indian Express. By implementing a decentralized local storage system, the wastage of food grains can be avoided, strengthening food security and preventing distress sales by farmers.
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