In an effort to strengthen post-harvest supply chain across the country and ensure better returns to the farmers in a big way, the central government is working on a comprehensive plan of creating a world class storage system and standardisation of warehouses complying with the requirements of the Warehousing Development and Regulation Authority (WDRA).
A sure and silent change is sweeping the country which is going to help the farmers in a big way and these changes will not only strengthen post-harvest supply chain but will also improve the returns to farmers in many ways, said sources in the Food Ministry.
Department of Food & Public Distribution has pushed for an ambitious plan through Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the development of about 100 silos with capacity of 35.875 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes), which will be road fed and will work on 'Hub and Spoke' model. A road map of the same is already in place and work has started in all sincerity, said the sources.
Hub and Spoke model will be efficient and complexities related to land acquisition for rail siding silos are bypassed since road fed silos, near to procurement areas will help in direct bulk grain procurement from farmers, reduced turn-around times for farmers and quick intake and offtake of food grains.
Incentives at various stages of the project have been incorporated in the bid documents for Hub and Spoke to attract private investment. These in-build incentives shall incentivise the Concessionaire to expedite project implementation in an efficient manner.
A world class storage system in the country would need standardisation of all the warehouses under various undertakings and an integrated warehouse management.
In an endeavour to ensure high standards of warehouse construction and maintenance, registration of all warehouses of Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and Food Corporation (FCI) with the WDRA has already commenced with the deadline of 30 April for completion of registration, said a senior official.
Around 161 CWC warehouses have already been registered and the remaining 178 will be done by 31 March, the official added.
Registration fees, security deposit and net worth conditions have been reduced for warehouses and staggered slabs, linked to capacity introduced to promote registration for small farmers, cooperatives, small warehouses businesses etc.
(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
Comments ↓
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.