India's First Integrated Agri-Export Facility to Come Up at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai

In a significant move to empower farmers and bolster agricultural export and import capabilities, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has approved the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA)'s project of ‘Development of Export-Import cum Domestic Agricultural Commodity-Based Processing & Storage Facility at JNPA on PPP Mode’ at a total cost of Rs. 284.19 crore.

The JNPA is set to establish an all-in-one state-of-the-art agricultural facility at the port, spanning 67,422 square meters. This pioneering facility will address inefficiencies in logistics, reduce multiple handlings, and extend the shelf life of agricultural products. Expected benefits include better prices for agricultural goods, job creation, and overall growth in the agricultural sector. It will empower farmers and exporters, stimulate demand, and foster rural development, according to an official release.

"Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, Ministry for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) is committed to create a robust infrastructure that not only enhances agricultural export capabilities but also supports farmers and rural communities. 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," Sonowal said.

The facility will cater to exports of prominent items like non-basmati rice, maize, spices, onion, and wheat. As JNPA is the 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 areas away from 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 1800 metric tonnes, a cold store of 5800 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 that aim to support and enhance India's agricultural capabilities, the release said. It is to be noted, JNPA in Maharashtra is the first major port of the country which is 100% Landlord port having all berths being operated on PPP model. JNPA is one of the leading container ports among the top 100 global ports (as per Lloyds List Top 100 Ports Report).

The landlord port is characterised by its mixed public-private orientation. Under this model, the port authority acts as regulatory body and as landlord, while port operations (especially cargo handling) are carried out by private companies.

In the state of Maharashtra, MoPSW is also developing one of the biggest ports in the country, the Vadhavan Port with total investment of about Rs.76,220 crore. It will be developed as an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port in Vadhavan, Palghar District. This will include development of Core infrastructure, Terminals and other commercial infrastructure in public-private partnerships (PPP) mode.

The proposed Vadhavan port is a high-priority initiative for the Government and is designed to handle an annual cargo of 23 million TEUs or 254 million tons, boasting a natural draft of 20 meters to accommodate larger container vessels of up to 20,000 TEUs. Once completed, the 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 financial assistance from the Sagarmala till date. Currently, 14 additional projects worth Rs. 1,115 crore are underway, receiving Rs. 561 crore in assistance from the same scheme.