Patna: Bihar’s Cooperation Department has approved a series of projects worth Rs 106.39 crore to strengthen the state’s vegetable supply chain and improve market access for farmers.
The projects will focus on vegetable collection, transportation, infrastructure and marketing. The department plans to develop facilities from the panchayat to the block level to connect farmers more efficiently with markets.
Collection Centres Planned In 350 Panchayats
Under the plan, 350 panchayat-level vegetable collection centres will be established across Bihar. The department also plans to develop 50 block-level infrastructure facilities.
The centres will allow farmers to bring their produce to designated collection points before it is transported to markets. The move is aimed at improving local collection facilities and creating a more organised supply chain.
The government also plans to use cooperative societies to manage and strengthen the vegetable trade at the local level.
534 Cooperatives To Receive Working Capital
Primary Vegetable Producer Cooperative Societies, or PVCS, will be a key part of the initiative.
A total of 534 PVCS will receive Rs 2 lakh each as working capital. In addition, nine vegetable unions will receive Rs 10 lakh each.
The funds are expected to support activities such as vegetable procurement, collection and transportation to markets. Strengthening the cooperative network could also help farmers collectively access markets and organise the sale of their produce.
Focus On Better Market Access For Farmers
Cooperation secretary Dharmendra Singh said providing farmers with better markets for their produce was among the department’s priorities.
He stressed the need to expand PVCS at the panchayat and block levels to bring more farmers into the cooperative system.
The department is also focusing on providing vegetable growers with better options to sell their produce. Connecting production with markets is a key objective of the initiative.
Five New PVCS In Each Union
The meeting was attended by Vegfed managing director Manoj Kumar Singh and other officials and representatives.
Officials directed that five new PVCS should be made operational in each union within the next 30 days.
The expansion is intended to strengthen the cooperative network at the local level and provide vegetable producers with an organised platform for collection and marketing.
The government plans to link collection, transportation and marketing through the cooperative network. If implemented effectively, the initiative could make the supply chain from farms to markets more organised for vegetable farmers across Bihar.
