To expand the reach of minimum support price mechanism in North-Eastern region, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has asked these states to set up market yards infrastructure and milling capacity with the help of private sector.
During a meeting, which was attended by officials from the Union and eastern states, besides private players in the agri-business, FCI also asked the North-Eastern states to develop a plan for procurement of foodgrains, the Corporation said in a statement today.
"The meeting also discussed the creation of basic mandi (market yards) infrastructure and milling capacity in the states - particularly in Bihar, Assam and West Bengal - with the involvement of the private sector," the statement said.
FCI is the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains in the country.
A High Level Committee, which was set up to look into the operations of FCI, had suggested that nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, should focus on eastern states, leaving bulk purchase to state agencies in Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
During the meeting held yesterday, West Bengal Food Secretary Anil Verma said that his state would welcome private players to increase the reach of benefits of MSP to small and marginal farmers.
The private players at the meeting also expressed their desire to chart out a long-term policy for engaging the private sector in the procurement operations of the central government, the statement said.
