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.