Decentralised Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector

Launched in May 2023, the Decentralised Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector aims to improve storage, processing, procurement, and distribution systems through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). The plan converges existing government schemes such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme, Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme (PMFME). It is implemented by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) with oversight from inter-ministerial and national-level coordination committees. Financial support mechanisms include interest subventions, capital subsidies, and NABARD's special refinance facility, reducing the effective loan interest rate for PACS to 1 percent. As of July 2026, godown construction was completed in 313 PACS across the country, creating over 1.80 LMT of storage capacity.