The Government on 31.05.2023, approved the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector”, to be rolled out as a Pilot Project. The Plan entails creation of various agri infrastructure at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level, including godowns, custom hiring center, processing units, etc. through convergence of various existing schemes of the Government of India (GoI), such as, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), etc.

Under the Pilot Project of the Plan, construction of godowns has been completed in 11 PACS of 11 States, the State-wise details of which are as under:

In addition to the above, foundation stones have been laid in 500 additional PACS under the Pilot Project. So far, a total of 575 PACS have been identified in various States/ UTs, the State- wise details of which are attached at Annexure.

The Ministry is implementing a plan to establish and strengthen 2 lakh multipurpose PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies to cover all the panchayats/ villages across the country, for which a Margdarshika (Standard Operating Procedure) has also been launched. As per the Margdarshika, 128 PACS have already been formed in the State of Karnataka against the target of establishing 218 PACS till FY 2028-29.

Further, under the Pilot Project of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, a godown of 1,000 MT capacity at Primary Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited, Ekamba in Bidar District of the State of Karnataka, has also been constructed.

As a result of the Pilot Project of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, a total of 9,750 MT of decentralized storage capacity has been created at PACS level. The creation of godowns at PACS level intends to reduce food grain wastage by creating sufficient decentralized storage capacity, strengthen food security of the country, prevent distress sale of crops and enable farmers to realise better prices for their crops. Since PACS can also operate as procurement centre as well as Fair Price Shops (FPS), the cost incurred in transportation of food grains to procurement centres and again transporting the stocks back from warehouses to FPS can also be saved.

Annexure

State wise details of identified PACS/ LAMPS

This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

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RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS