CM Fadnavis launches smart project

Mumbai: Farming will be made sustainable in ten thousand villages of the state in next three years through agri-business, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing the launch of the ‘State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transfor-mation (SMART)’ project at YB Chavan on Wednesday. More than 49 companies, including Tata Group, Am-azon, ITC and Patanjali ha-ve inked MoUs with the state government to stren-gthen farmers. SMART entails an investment of Rs 2,000 crore of which World Bank contributed Rs 1,500 crore while the state government contributed '430 crore and the rest through the Village Social Transf-ormation Foundation (VS-TF). VSTF signed MOUs w-ith 22 corporates and start-ups to focus on increasing farm productivity and hig-her price realisations for farmers by ensuring direct tie-up with end buyers.  

Mr Fadnavis said that agri-business would be developed through SMART project.

He also thanked Junaid Ahmad, the country director for the World Bank, which had given funds for this project.