Decentralized Grain Storage Plan transforms PACS into multi-service hubs to strengthen India's cooperative agricultural infrastructure
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector (launched May 2023) creates integrated agricultural storage and processing infrastructure at the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level, achieving over 1.80 lakh MT capacity across 313 PACS by July 2026.
- Implemented by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the scheme converges existing central programs—Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and PMFME—to transform PACS into multi-service hubs.
- The plan equips PACS with 50-200 MT storage silos, Custom Hiring Centers, Fair Price Shops, and primary processing units to reduce post-harvest losses, prevent distress sales, and lower logistics costs.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is the nodal implementing agency for this scheme, which converges AIF, AMI, SMAM, and PMFME at the PACS level.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Decentralized storage infrastructure at the village level addresses key supply-chain bottlenecks in Indian agriculture by curbing post-harvest wastage, reducing freight costs for PDS distribution, and empowering farmers to avoid distress sales.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the 'Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector', consider the following statements: 1. It aims to create integrated agricultural storage and primary processing infrastructure at the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level. 2. The plan is implemented by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). 3. It operates by converging existing central schemes, including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM). Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 2 and 3 only
- [C] 1 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
All three statements are correct. Launched in May 2023, the Decentralized Grain Storage Plan builds storage and processing infrastructure at the PACS level to reduce post-harvest losses and distress sales. Implemented by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), it converges existing central schemes such as AIF, AMI, SMAM, and PMFME to transform PACS into multi-service hubs.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.