Maharashtra has announced investment opportunities of more than Rs 1,000 crore in agribusiness infrastructure across six agricultural clusters under the second phase of the Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MAGNET) programme. The initiative will focus on developing integrated cold chains, processing, logistics, aggregation and export infrastructure with private-sector participation.
Announcing the investment opportunity at the MAGNET Agribusiness Infrastructure Investor Meet in Mumbai, Maharashtra Minister for Agricultural Marketing and Protocol and Chairman of the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) Jaykumar Rawal said the six clusters would cover banana, pomegranate, mango, citrus, cashew and turmeric value chains.
The proposed infrastructure is expected to have an annual handling capacity of around 6 lakh metric tonnes and more than 1 lakh metric tonnes of cold storage capacity. Facilities will include agri-logistics hubs, aggregation and grading centres, cold chains, processing and value-addition units and export-oriented infrastructure. The state government will shortly invite Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the proposed clusters.
The second phase of MAGNET is designed to address gaps between farm production and markets by connecting aggregation, grading, storage, processing, logistics and market access within integrated value chains. The programme has a total outlay of USD 250 million, with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Maharashtra government.
MAGNET 2.0 will expand the programme from 15 to 23 value chains and is expected to reach more than 4 lakh farmers. It also plans to strengthen and incubate 200 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and train 1.15 lakh FPO members.
According to the state government, MAGNET 1.0 supported more than 280 sub-projects and created over 47,000 metric tonnes of cold storage capacity. More than 2.32 lakh farmers were directly impacted, with women accounting for around 43 per cent. Post-harvest losses in MAGNET crops declined by about 8.73 per cent, while the programme mobilised approximately Rs 275 crore in private capital and generated around 4,300 direct jobs.
Rawal said the private sector would be a partner in the next phase, bringing investment, technology, processing expertise, operational capabilities and market access, while the government would support infrastructure, finance, institutions and market systems.
The state also proposed developing an International Agricultural Market at Dapchari in Palghar district over approximately 1,300 acres. The proposed facility is intended to function as an integrated food and agricultural trade hub connecting producers and FPOs with exporters, processors, logistics companies, international buyers and domestic markets.
The location is expected to benefit from connectivity through Vadhavan Port, the proposed airport, Dedicated Freight Corridor and Mumbai-Delhi Expressway. Rawal said the proposed market is intended to link agricultural production centres with national and international demand.
MSAMB Executive Director Sanjay Kadam said the Board would focus on market intelligence, market linkages and export facilitation while strengthening connections among FPOs, value-chain operators, buyers and investors.
The state government said MAGNET 2.0 and the proposed Dapchari market are part of its broader Viksit Maharashtra 2047 vision to move from primary agricultural commodities towards processed, branded and traceable products and increase participation in global agricultural trade.