Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will set up an international-standard agricultural market in Palghar district, about 40km from the upcoming Vadhvan port, to strengthen farm exports and link cultivators directly to global markets, Marketing Minister Jaykumar Rawal said on Tuesday.

The proposed market at Dapchari, which will be spread across more than 558.43 hectares, would function as a world-class agricultural trade hub catering to both domestic and export markets and also generate more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, he told reporters here.

Rawal said the project, approved by the state cabinet earlier in the day, would be developed by the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) on the lines of France's Rungis Market, Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands and the agricultural logistics ecosystem around the Port of Rotterdam.

The state government plans to develop a three-tier agricultural marketing system at the sprawling site adjoining Mumbai comprising an international market, a market of national importance and Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), informed the minister.

The mega project will focus on export infrastructure, post-harvest value addition, transparent computerised trading and modern marketing facilities, he maintained.

According to Rawal, the hub will provide wholesale trading, import-export facilities, and house cold chain infrastructure, grading and packaging units, multimodal logistics, agritech and exchange centres at one location.

Warehousing, cold storage, ripening chambers, quality testing laboratories, container terminals, railway siding, e-auction facilities and an export facilitation centre are also planned at the site, he said.

He noted that Maharashtra accounts for around 15 per cent of India's agricultural exports and 43 per cent of overseas shipments of fruits. The state is the country's largest producer of grapes, pomegranates, cotton and pulses, and ranks second in fruit and vegetable production.

The project is expected to reduce post-harvest losses by 15-20 per cent and lower transportation and handling costs by a similar margin, Rawal said.

The hub's connectivity to the upcoming Vadhvan Deepwater Port, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Samruddhi Mahamarg, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway would help cut logistics costs and significantly boost exports of fruits, vegetables, flowers, grains, pulses, spices and processed farm products, he noted.

Rawal said the project would be developed by MSAMB with the support of the state government and would help position Maharashtra as a leading agricultural export hub in the country. PTI MR RSY

Integrated agricultural trade hub near Vadhvan Port aims to strengthen exports through cold chains, logistics, and transparent trading Maharashtra has approved an international-standard agricultural market at Dapchari in Palghar district near the upcoming Vadhvan Port. Developed by the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, the project will combine an international market, a market of national importance and Agricultural Produce Market Committees. Planned infrastructure includes wholesale and import-export facilities, cold chains, grading and packaging units, multimodal logistics, warehouses, testing laboratories, container terminals, railway siding, e-auctions and an export facilitation centre. The project aims to support transparent trading, post-harvest value addition, reduced losses and improved agricultural exports.