A pivotal meeting was convened between Mr. Abhijeet Sinha, National Program Director of Ease of Doing Business, and the Hon’ble Minister of Food Processing Industries, Shri Chirag Paswan, to deliberate on the integration of Indian farmers into the National Highway for Electric Vehicles (NHeV) Project and the potential for transporting food via electric vehicles (EVs).
The discussions primarily centered on the establishment of cold storage facilities along national highways. These storages will be strategically located to benefit farmers within a 5 km radius, enabling them to store their produce and engage in direct sales to buyers. This initiative is envisioned to empower farmers by providing essential infrastructure to preserve their produce and access broader markets, thereby reducing reliance on intermediaries.
Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and Hon’ble Minister Shri Chirag Paswan, this project is poised to bring transformative changes to the agriculture sector. The proposed cold storage facilities are expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses and ensure that farmers receive better prices for their produce by facilitating direct transactions.
Mr. Abhijeet Sinha highlighted that India is the world’s second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, ranks third in fish production, and eighth in meat production. Despite this, India only captures 3% of the global food market and imports $33.6 billion worth of food annually from countries with much lower production but superior cold chain logistics and packaging infrastructure.The growth in food processing and export-supporting infrastructure in India, combined with improved ‘Ease in Mobility,’ is changing the landscape . These advancements are helping the Indian economy reduce imports while simultaneously increasing exports of its surplus, thereby boosting its global market share.
He also presented the ‘Ease in Moving Index,’ prepared by the Ease of Doing Business in collaboration with the OMI Foundation.The meeting concluded on an affirmative note with Hon’ble Minister Shri Chirag Paswan commending the team for their detailed presentation. He conveyed his concurrence with the project’s objectives and underscored the necessity for further detailed discussions to advance this initiative.
This collaboration signifies a significant stride towards enhancing the ease of doing business in the agriculture sector and empowering farmers across the nation. The NHeV Project is anticipated to establish a robust infrastructure that will benefit farmers, consumers, and the national economy.
