[1]Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has ordered the establishment of 18 modern grain storage godowns and 50 cold storage godowns at the cost of Rs 37.50 crore, in an effort to help farmers store their produce in a safe manner and thereby enable them to sell the produce when prices are favourable.
Each modern grain storage facility, with 2,000 metric tonne capacity each, would cost Rs 1.2 crore and comprise weighing scales and weighing platforms. The total cost of these facilities would come to Rs 21.6 crore at 18 places across Tamil Nadu.
They will come up at Tiruvannamalai, Erode, Vellore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Theni, Thiruvarur, Tiruchy and Cuddalore.
Likewise, each refrigeration facility, with 25 tonne capacity each, would cost Rs 31.8 lakh and totally Rs15.9 crore would be spent.
They will come up in Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Erode, Vellore, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Theni, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Pudukottai.
This will facilitate small and marginal farmers to repay loans promptly by avoiding distress sale immediately after harvest thereby incurring losses.
“This will enable farmers to store their produce at a proper place and sell them when they get good remuneration,” a release from the government said. The godowns would also have temperature monitors.
The release also said that the chief minister has ordered the implementation of National Food Storage Mission during 2012-13 to boost food production and to increase its storage.
Out of the total Rs 1.5 crore to be spent for the mission, Ms Jayalalithaa has directed the release of state share of RS 37.5 lakh.
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