World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan

World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan

Subject: Schemes

Section: Agri

Context:

The Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, mentioned about the 54 initiatives taken by the Ministry of Cooperation.

More on news:

• The Ministry of Cooperation was created by transferring the existing entries related to cooperation and cooperative in the business of the erstwhile Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare vide Cabinet Secretariat’s Gazette Notification dated 6th July, 2021.
• The Ministry of Cooperation, since its inception on 6th July, 2021, has undertaken several initiatives to realize the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” and to strengthen & deepen the cooperative movement from Primary to Apex level Cooperatives in the country. 

Various initiatives undertaken:

• World’s Largest Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative sector: 
  • Government has approved a plan to create warehouses, custom hiring centers, primary processing units and other agri infrastructure for grain storage at PACS level, through convergence of various GOI schemes, including AIF, AMI, SMAM, PMF ME, etc. 
  • This will reduce wastage of food grains and transportation costs, enable farmers to realize better prices for their produce and meet various agricultural needs at the PACS level itself.
  • 27 States/ UTs and National level Cooperative Federations such as National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), have identified more than 2,000 PACS for creation of storage capacity under the Pilot Project.
• An MoU has been signed between Ministry of Cooperation, MeitY, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited for providing more than 300 e-services such as banking, insurance, Aadhar enrolment/ updation, health services, PAN card and IRCTC/ Bus/ Air ticket, etc. through PACS.
• Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies for providing doorstep financial services:
  • Dairy and Fisheries cooperative societies can be made Bank Mitras of DCCBs and StCBs. To ensure their ease of doing business, transparency and financial inclusion.
  • Micro-ATMs are also being given to these Bank Mitra Co-operative Societies with support from NABARD to provide ‘Door-step Financial Services’. 
• Promotion of training and awareness through National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT):
  • By increasing its reach, NCCT has conducted 3,287 training programs and provided training to 2,01,507 participants in FY 2022-23.
• Computerization of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs): 
  • To strengthen the long-term cooperative credit structure, the project of computerization of 1,851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) spread across 13 States/ Union Territories has been approved by the Government.
  • NABARD is the implementing agency for the project and will develop a national level software for ARDBs.
• Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023:
  • Amendment has been brought in the MSCS Act, 2002 to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, increase accountability, reform electoral processes and incorporate provisions of the 97th Constitutional Amendment in the Multi State Cooperative Societies.

Three new National Level Multi-State Societies

• New National Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society for certified seeds:
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative seed society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) as an umbrella organization for quality seed cultivation, production and distribution under a single brand.
  • Wheat, mustard, and pulses (gram, pea) breeder seeds have been planted across 1,750 acres.
• New National Multi-State Cooperative Organic Society for organic farming: 
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative organic society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) as an umbrella organization to produce, distribute and market certified and authentic organic products.
  • Six organic products have been launched by NCOL under the “Bharat Organics” brand.
• New National Multi-State Cooperative Export Society for promoting exports:
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative export society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) as an umbrella organization to give thrust to exports from the cooperative sector. 

CO’s Co-operative Models:

• Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Society, known as IFFCO, is a Multi-State Cooperative Society. 
• IFFCO has been ranked as the No. 1 cooperative in the world in the line-up of 300 top cooperatives of the world in the 2022 edition of the Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report based on the ratio of turnover over GDP per capita income, designed by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).