It would be modelled on globally renowned agri-trade hubs such as Rungis International Market in France, Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands .
Palghar: The world’s biggest integrated international agriculture market with extensive road, rail, sea and air linkages would come up in Maharashtra’s Palghar district which adjoins India’s financial hub of Mumbai.
It would be modelled on globally renowned agri-trade hubs such as Rungis International Market in France, Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands and the modern agri-logistics ecosystem around the Port of Rotterdam.
The market will come up at Dapchari, nearly 150 kms from downtown Mumbai.
________________________________________________________________________
Read Also: Time to revise the Sustainable Development Goals
________________________________________________________________________
The decision was taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai.
The international-standard agricultural market will be spread over 558.43 hectares (1,395 acres), around 40 kms away from the upcoming Vadhvan Port in Dahanu tehsil.
“The agricultural market will strengthen the state’s agricultural exports and provide farmers direct access to global markets,” Marketing Minister Jaykumar Rawal told reporters.
“The proposed facility will serve both domestic and export markets by integrating trading, logistics, storage, processing and value-addition infrastructure at a single location,” said Rawal.
The minister said the state plans to establish a three-tier agricultural marketing system comprising international markets, markets of national importance and Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to strengthen the agricultural value chain.
________________________________________________________________________
Read Also : Home Advice Vegetables to plant in August: top 10 crops to sow and grow…
________________________________________________________________________
The focus will be on export-oriented infrastructure, post-harvest value addition, transparent digital transactions and modern market facilities, he said.
“The integrated agri-market will include wholesale trading, import-export facilities, cold chain infrastructure, grading and packaging units, multimodal logistics, agri-tech services and commodity exchange facilities. It will also house warehouses, cold storage units, ripening chambers, quality testing laboratories, container terminals, railway sidings, e-auction platforms and export facilitation centres,” he said.
Rawal said the project’s connectivity to the upcoming Vadhvan Deepwater Port, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Samruddhi Mahamarg, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Vadodara Expressway would significantly improve export logistics and reduce transportation costs.
The project will be spearheaded by the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board.
NOTE – This article was originally published in deccanherald and can be viewed here
Tags: #agri-tech, #agri-trade, #agriculturalmarket, #agriculture, #farmers, #getgeengetrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #logistics, #market, #mumbai, #Palghar
