Context
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised a stakeholders’ capacity-building and sensitisation workshop on the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan under the Cooperative Sector (WLGSP-Coops)” at Jugijan Samabai Samity Ltd in Hojai district, Assam on Sunday, 28 June 2026. The workshop brought together officials from the Cooperative Department, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), Food Corporation of India (FCI), Assam State Warehouse Corporation, District Industries & Commerce Centre, Assam Cooperative Apex Bank, and representatives of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). NABARD’s District Development Manager (DDM) Shri Rajendar Perna highlighted the scheme objectives, and Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies Shri Deepak Bathari announced that Kapashbari Samabai Samity Ltd has been identified for establishing a grain storage godown, and encouraged other eligible societies to participate. WLGSP-Coops — approved by the Union Cabinet on 31 May 2023 and launched by the Ministry of Cooperation under Union Home + Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah — aims to create decentralised agricultural infrastructure (godowns, custom hiring centres, processing units, Fair Price Shops) at the PACS level through convergence of existing schemes: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME).
What is WLGSP-Coops?
- Full Form: World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector.
- Approved by: Union Cabinet on 31 May 2023.
- Ministry: Ministry of Cooperation, GoI.
- Union Minister: Shri Amit Shah (Home + Cooperation).
- Ministry of Cooperation Established: 6 July 2021.
- Vision: “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperatives).
- Type: Central Sector Initiative / Pilot Project.
- Coverage: 24 States/UTs.
What are the WLGSP-Coops objectives?
- Reduce food grain wastage (post-harvest losses).
- Strengthen food security.
- Prevent distress sales by farmers.
- Enable farmers to realise better prices.
- Save transportation costs between procurement centres, warehouses, Fair Price Shops.
- Empower PACS as multifunctional entities.
What infrastructure is created at PACS level?
| Facility | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Godowns / Warehouses | Decentralised storage |
| Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) | Machinery access |
| Processing Units | Sorting, grading, milling |
| Fair Price Shops (FPS) | PDS retail |
| Procurement Centres | Direct FCI/state agency link |
What are the converging schemes?
| Scheme | Ministry |
|---|---|
| Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) | Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI) | Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) | Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) | Food Processing Industries |
What are PACS?
- Full Form: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.
- Grassroots tier of India’s 3-tier cooperative credit structure.
- India has 100,000+ PACS with 130 million+ farmer members.
- 3-Tier Structure: NABARD → StCBs (State Cooperative Banks) → DCCBs (District Central Cooperative Banks) → PACS.
Why does this matter?
| Impact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food Security | Decentralised storage strengthens buffer stocks + PDS |
| Farmer Income | Better prices via delayed sale |
| Post-Harvest Losses | Reduces India’s estimated ~15% food grain losses |
| Rural Economy | Empowers PACS as multifunctional entities |
| Logistics Efficiency | Cuts transportation costs; grain stored near production |
| Cooperative Movement | Realises Sahakar Se Samriddhi vision |
| Second Green Revolution | Shifts focus from output to storage-credit-processing |
Key Terms
- What is WLGSP-Coops?
World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector — Cabinet approved 31 May 2023; creates decentralised godowns + agri-infrastructure at PACS level. - What is a PACS?
Primary Agricultural Credit Society — village-level cooperative in India’s 3-tier cooperative credit structure; ~100,000+ PACS with 130 million+ farmer members.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector (WLGSP-Coops)”, consider the following statements:
- WLGSP-Coops was approved by the Union Cabinet on 31 May 2023.
- It is implemented under the Ministry of Cooperation, headed by Union Home & Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah.
- The plan aims to create decentralised agri-infrastructure such as godowns, custom hiring centres, processing units, and Fair Price Shops at the PACS level.
- WLGSP-Coops is implemented directly by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; WLGSP-Coops is implemented by the Ministry of Cooperation with support from NABARD, NDDB, NFDB, NCDC, FCI, and State Governments — NOT directly by the RBI.)
Q2. With reference to the scheme convergence under WLGSP-Coops, consider the following statements:
- WLGSP-Coops converges existing schemes including Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME).
- Under AIF, the loan repayment period for PACS has been extended from 2+5 years to 2+8 years.
- The AMI subsidy for PACS has been raised from 25% to 33.33%.
- WLGSP-Coops has no linkage with the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; PACS godowns built under WLGSP-Coops are being hired by FCI + state warehousing corporations — there IS a strong linkage with FCI.)
Answer Key
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Ministry of Cooperation implements, not RBI.
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: FCI hires PACS godowns; strong linkage.
Exam Relevance
| NABARD Grade A | CRITICAL — Direct subject — WLGSP-Coops, PACS, cooperative sector, rural infrastructure; Phase II essay-worthy |
