The minister said that under the agriculture infrastructure fund, support is extended to cold storages in agri-export clusters, at farm gate level, for small and marginal farmers as well as big businesses, APMCs/mandis to reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers' returns.
Minister of state for agriculture Ashish Jaiswal, who also attended the Nagpur event, emphasised the critical role of these assured funds in providing relief to farmers facing persistent financial challenges.
Eligible projects include warehouses, silos, cold chains, logistics facilities, and smart precision agriculture infrastructure. Loan applicants must contribute at least 10 per cent of the project cost, and an entity can apply for up to 25 projects, each eligible for a loan of up to Rs. 2 crore.
Thakur emphasised that YES-TECH has already been successfully implemented in 10 states, with claim payouts for Kharif 2023 completed across seven of them.
Experts advocate treating care as essential social infrastructure. Expanding services, redistributing unpaid work through policy, and challenging norms that sideline educated women could unlock significant gains.
This 2026 event arrives after earlier haor region floods earlier in the year, underscoring recurring pressures. Migration to urban centres and climate adaptation efforts remain critical long-term challenges.
Experts advocate treating care as essential social infrastructure. Expanding services, redistributing unpaid work through policy, and challenging norms that sideline educated women could unlock significant gains.