Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) In two significant moves aimed at boosting the agricultural and dairy sectors, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced major concessions for fruit and vegetable exporters at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and a substantial reduction in electricity tariffs for milk collection centres.

Marketing Minister Jaykumar Rawal said JNPA will provide relief for exporters whose containers are stranded due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“There will be an 80 per cent discount on electricity connection charges for reefer (cold storage) containers, a 100 per cent waiver of storage and dwell time charges, and a facility to store containers at the port premises until a new vessel becomes available,” he said.

Rawal added that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East had created a crisis for exports to GCC countries.

Following instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a request was made to Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Piyush Goyal, leading to swift intervention.

“The concessions are valid for 15 days, from midnight of February 28, 2026, to midnight of March 14, 2026. They apply to containers already in the terminal by February 28 and those registered for entry by 7:00 AM on March 8. Around 250 containers are stranded at JNPA and 150 at Mundra Port. Without this waiver, exporters faced additional costs of nearly Rs 2 lakh per container every seven days,” Rawal said.

Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis informed the Legislative Assembly during Question Hour that the state has drastically slashed electricity rates for chillers used in milk collection centres. This followed a query raised by MLA Anil Patil regarding uniform power rates for the dairy industry.

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has released a new tariff structure effective July 1, creating a dedicated category for these centres.

“For Low Tension (LT) Commercial, the tariff has been reduced from Rs 16.55 per unit to Rs 7.31 per unit. For High Tension Commercial, the tariff has been cut from Rs 13.81 per unit to Rs 9.06 per unit,” Fadnavis said.

“By leveraging solar energy availability, we are offering a 25 per cent discount during solar hours without increasing rates for other time slots. Our goal is to provide 24-hour power through battery storage systems,” he added.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the success of the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana.

He said 4,000 MW of solar capacity has been completed, benefiting 800,000 farmers with daytime power.

An additional 10,000 MW capacity will be installed by year-end to cover 75 per cent of the state’s farmers.

“The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has recognised Maharashtra’s model as a flagship scheme, and the Central government has directed other states to emulate it. The government aims to ensure 10 hours of uninterrupted daytime power for farmers, with the next phase focusing heavily on battery storage technology,” Fadnavis noted.

--IANS

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