Measures initiated by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) during the last five years for creating quality storage space for food security in the co-operative sector through its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) window, is making a huge difference in the rural areas, according to M Palanivelu, Joint Registrar of Co-operatives, Madurai Region.

He was delivering the valedictory address in the three-day training programme on ‘Scientific Warehouse Management’ organised by Nabard, which ended on June 7, in Madurai.

In Tamil Nadu, during the last three years, Nabard pumped in over ₹250 Crore through its RIDF loans to the State Government for constructing 2,000 rural godowns in the co-operative sector. Of this, during the current fiscal alone, 1,044 rural godowns of varying capacity will come up in Tamil Nadu. This will add 12.41 lakh MT of quality godown space, financed through a RIDF loan of ₹134 crore to the Govt of Tamil Nadu. In Madurai, during the last three years, around 20,000 MT of farm storage space has been created through 152 rural godowns spread across the length and breadth of the district, he said and called upon the participants to maintain the highest quality standards, since poor farmers keep their hard earned farm produce in trust with them.

Earlier in his opening remarks, R Shankar Narayan, Assistant General Manager, Nabard, Madurai, said the Government of India’s benefit of interest subvention would be available to small and marginal farmers who store their produce in accredited warehouses. Secretaries of the Primary Agriculture Co-operative Societies from Madurai, Theni and Virudhunagar partcipated.

Related Topics