Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for approving the constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector.

In his tweets, Shri Amit Shah said that “I thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for approving the constitution and empowerment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee(IMC) for the World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in cooperative sector in cabinet today.”

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Minister said that this is a visionary decision, which will lay the foundation of a prosperous, self-reliant and food grains-rich India. Lack of agricultural storage capacity leads to wastage of food grains and farmers are forced to sell their crops at low prices. With this decision, farmers will now get modern grain storage facilities in their blocks through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), so that they will be able to get fair price for their grains.

Shri Amit Shah said that PACS are an important pillar of the rural economy. With this plan, the country will get food security and crores of farmers associated with cooperatives will be benefited. This plan will enable PACS to not only provide storage facilities but also undertake many other activities, such as Fair Price Shop and Custom Hiring Centers.

With this historic decision the farmers will get the following benefits:-

1. Farmers can sell their crops to PACS by receiving some advance payment at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and get the balance after the PACS sell the food grains in the market, or

2. Farmers can store their crops in the warehouses managed by PACS and get finance for the next crop cycle and sell their crops at the time of their choice, or

3. Farmers can sell their entire crop to PACS at minimum support price.

****

RK/AY/AKS/AS