Centre to identify Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, encourage them to function as retailers based on feasibility

New Delhi [India], June 8 : The Centre has decided to identify Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across the country which are not functioning as fertilizer retailers and encourage them to function as retailers on the basis of feasibility in a phased manner.
This will be among five more important decisions taken in the direction of realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Sahkar Se Samridhi".
These important decisions will increase the income of PACS as well as increase the employment opportunities in rural areas and farmers will be able to get fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and agricultural machinery at the local level.
These decisions were taken in a meeting of the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah with Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh S Mandaviya here in the national capital.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Cooperation and the Department of Fertilizers were also present in the meeting.
"There are about 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies present across the country. On the basis of mapping, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) which are not functioning as fertilizer retailers will be identified and they will be encouraged to function as retailers on the basis of feasibility in a phased manner," reads a Ministry of Cooperation statement.
Besides, another decision focuses, the PACS which are not currently functioning as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras (PMKSK) will be brought under the ambit of PMKSK.
"PACS will be connected with the marketing of organic fertilizers, especially Fermented Organic Manure (FoM) and Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM) and Phosphate Enriched Organic Manure (PROM)," the statement said.
Under the Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme of the Department of Fertilizers, it said, fertilizer companies will act as an aggregator for small bio-organic producers to market the end product, in this supply and marketing chain of bio-organic fertilizers PACS will also be included as wholesalers and retailers.
"PACS can also be employed as Drone entrepreneurs for spraying fertilizers and pesticides. Drones can also be used for survey of property," it added.