NEW DELHI: India on Saturday launched the world’s largest grain storage initiative in the cooperative sector, with an investment surpassing `1.15 lakh crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the pilot project of this scheme across 11 Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) in 11 different states.
Additionally, Modi laid the cornerstone for various key projects, including the establishment of 500 PACS nationwide within the cooperative framework and inaugurated the project for computerisation of 18,000 PACS across the country. At the event, Modi highlighted the critical role of cooperation in fortifying the agricultural sector.
“The inauguration of the world’s most extensive grain storage plan today paves way for the construction of thousands of warehouses and godowns across the nation, alongside other initiatives like PACS computerisation, which will redefine agriculture and modernise farming.”
Modi underscored the timeless concept of cooperation in India, illustrating how pooling smaller resources can achieve greater tasks. “Cooperatives form the cornerstone of India’s self-reliant society, embodying more than just a system — they represent a belief, a spirit that can transform ordinary daily systems into vast industrial ones,” he said.
Modi reiterated his administration’s dedication to unifying India’s fragmented agricultural sector, highlighting the growth of entrepreneurship among small rural farmers through Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs). “With the establishment of a dedicated ministry of cooperation, 8,000 out of a targeted 10,000 FPOs are now operational. Furthermore, over 25,000 cooperative units in the fisheries sector are active, with plans to establish 2 lakh cooperative societies in future,” Modi said, emphasizing the importance of modernising agriculture for achieving a self-reliant India.
Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah outlined the initiatives in the cooperative sector, stating the grain storage scheme would match 100% of India’s grain production capacity. He emphasized the integration of PACS godowns with the national food grain supply chain, a collaborative effort involving NABARD and the National Cooperative Development Corporation.