New Delhi: To boost India’s agricultural export and import capabilities, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has approved the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA)’s project titled ‘Development of Export-Import cum Domestic Agricultural Commodity-Based Processing & Storage Facility at JNPA on PPP Mode,’ valued at Rs. 284.19 Crore.
The JNPA will establish a state-of-the-art agricultural facility at the port, spanning 67,422 square meters. This pioneering initiative aims to address inefficiencies in logistics, reduce multiple handling of goods, and extend the shelf life of agricultural products. The facility is expected to offer better prices for agricultural goods, create jobs, and stimulate overall growth in the agricultural sector. It will empower farmers and exporters, drive demand, and foster rural development.
“The development of this all-in-one agricultural facility at JNPA will streamline logistics, reduce wastages, and provide better prices for agricultural products. This is a significant step towards empowering our farmers and boosting India’s agricultural sector,” stated Minister Sonowal.
The facility will cater to exports of prominent items such as non-basmati rice, maize, spices, onion, and wheat. Given that JNPA is a dominant gateway for frozen meat products and a major gateway for marine products, the new facility will also support exporters of meat and marine products from regions beyond Mumbai. Small exporters, in particular, will benefit from the port-based facility, improving their capabilities in logistics, container booking, cold chain logistics, and export operations. The estimated export capacity increase includes a frozen store of 1,800 metric tonnes, a cold store of 5,800 metric tonnes, and dry warehouses with a capacity of 12,000 metric tonnes for grains, cereals, and dry cargo.
This initiative aligns with the government’s vision of empowering farmers and fostering rural development, setting a precedent for future infrastructure projects aimed at supporting and enhancing India’s agricultural capabilities.
It is noteworthy that JNPA in Maharashtra is the first major port in the country to operate entirely on the landlord model, with all berths being operated on a PPP basis. JNPA is one of the leading container ports among the top 100 global ports, as per the Lloyd’s List Top 100 Ports Report.
In Maharashtra, the MoPSW is also developing one of the country’s biggest ports, the Vadhavan Port, with a total investment of about Rs. 76,220 crore. This port will be an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port in Vadhavan, Palghar District, including the development of core infrastructure, terminals, and other commercial infrastructure in PPP mode. The proposed Vadhavan Port is a high-priority initiative for the government, designed to handle an annual cargo of 23 million TEUs or 254 million tons, with a natural draft of 20 meters to accommodate larger container vessels of up to 20,000 TEUs. Once completed, this project will rank among the world’s top 10 largest ports and serve as a significant green fuel hub.
Maharashtra has already seen the completion of 16 projects valued at Rs. 790 crore, with Rs. 232 crore in financial assistance from the Sagarmala scheme to date. Currently, 14 additional projects worth Rs. 1,115 crore are underway, receiving Rs. 561 crore in assistance from the same scheme.
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