1. What is TNSCM about ?
TNSCM means the Tamil Nadu Supply Chain Management Project for fruits, vegetables and other perishables.
The project aims to establish a supply chain with required social and physical infrastructure through proper market integration to provide primarily processed fruits, vegetables and other perishables in multiple forms, including, Ready to Cook, Ready to Shelf, Ready to Eat, Ready to Process to varied customers.
2. What are the commodities that are going to be handled under the TNSCM Project?
The supply chain of TNSCM project is going to deal with only fruits and vegetables. No other agricultural commodities other than fruits, vegetables & other perishables (TNSCM Project focus crops) shall be cleaned, washed, sorted, graded, packed or stored or processed within the premises of PPC by the MIP.
3. Why TNSCM?
The Project aims to establish a supply chain with required social and physical infrastructure through proper market integration to provide primarily processed fruits, vegetables and other perishables in multiple forms, including, Ready to Cook, Ready to Shelf, Ready to Eat, Ready to Process to varied customers.
The core objectives of the Project are:
- Establish required infrastructural facilities to strengthen the supply chain for fruits, vegetables & other perishables.
- Reduce post-harvest losses and enhance the shelf life of fruits, vegetables & other perishables.
- Create linkages with viable business proposition for the value chain players
- Provide necessary support for market integration with major market centres, processors and consumers and ensure remunerative price to the farmers
- Bring in other stakeholders to make them part of the supply chain and expand outreach benefiting the farming community
4. Who is implementing the project ?
The Commissionerate of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business is the implementing authority for the project.
5. Who is a Market Integration Partner ?
“Market Integration Partner” (or “MIP”) means the successful bidder (Farmer Producer Organisation or Company registered in Tamil Nadu under any of the following legal provisions, or as Consortium of FPCs or as Federation of FPOs) who has been awarded the contract to operate the particular Primary Processing Centre.
6. What is the scope for MIP in TNSCM ?
The scope will broadly comprise of sourcing of perishables, primary processing, storing and utilising it for the business purpose using TNSCM supply chain components and conforming to the objectives of the project, including, but not limited to sorting, grading, pre-cooling, packaging, cold storage, transportation and other supporting facilities available in the PPC for a period of 3 years from the date of handing over the PPC.
7. What are the key responsibilities of the Market Integration Partners ?
The competent Farmer Producer Organizations selected based on the tender outcomes will be given the role of Market Integration Partners and engaged to operationalise the Primary Processing Centres.
- MIPs will procure the fruits, vegetables and other perishables from the production clusters by engaging the local farming community and Farmer Producer Organisations.
- MIPs will engage their own resources with adequate technical background with skill sets and utilize the PPC infrastructure, plant and machinery to manage the PPC and undertake business operations on a profitable basis.
- MIPs will be a business entity which handles the entire supply chain and manages both backward and forward linkages.
8. What is PPC ?
PPC means the Primary Processing Centre for fruits, vegetables, and other perishables with all its infrastructure, plant & machinery and other miscellaneous assets. PPC acts as a business centric point to do backward linkage, primary process and forward linkage.
9.What can be done at PPC ?
“Operations of PPC” include purchase of produce, primary processing like cleaning, sorting, grading, value addition, packing, storing and selling the fruits, vegetables and other perishables in a clean and hygienic environment.
10. What is a Production Cluster?
Production Cluster means a group of villages, where fruits, vegetables and other perishables are grown by farmers. One production cluster is linked to one Primary Processing Centre.
11.What does ‘focus crops’ mean ?
Focus crops mean the major fruits, vegetables and other perishables grown in the production cluster with different assortments. Each PPC has been identified with one or more focus crops grown in the production cluster.
12.What is an MIP expected to do in this Project ?
MIP is expected to form linkages with farmers in production clusters and operationalise the PPC/PPCs and further expand the business scope with quality fruits, vegetables and other perishables for the benefit of the farming community.
13. What will be the duration of contract?
The contract entered into by The Commissionerate of Agricultural marketing and Agri Business with the Market Integration Partner shall subsist for a period of 3 years.
14.As TNSCM is a new initiative, how will the authority support the MIPs on utilizing the facility?
The authority intends to handhold the business operations of the MIP by engaging International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The authority also intends to create a conducive business environment for the MIP to grow and increase outreach to the farming community through a robust Management Information System.
15.Can the MIP make any changes in the infrastructure or machinery provided to them?
MIP shall not make any construction/ modification/ replacement/ addition/ alteration/ tampering etc to the building, plant and machineries, miscellaneous assets. If any action is required as above, the MIP shall take prior written approval / permission of the DLMC on the exact nature of alterations, modifications etc., required and it shall be done at the cost and expenses of MIP during the currency of the contract period. However, the MIP shall not take up major modifications in the civil structures.
16.Can the MIP sublet or lease the facility of PPC?
No, the MIP is not supposed to sublet or lease the facility to any other third Party and any violation in this regard will be considered as default by the MIP invoking necessary default clauses provided in the clause 14 of the contract document.
17.What does MIS stand for?
MIS stands for Management Information System.
18. How will the MIS platform help the MIP?
MIP can use the Management Information System (MIS) developed/provided by the authority for the Project. MIS will be used for end to end processes including farmer engagement, procurement, PPC operations and market integration. MIP can make the relevant entries or carry out transactions on the MIS platform through its own resources.
19.What are the records that MIP will necessarily have to maintain?
The MIP is responsible for maintaining a log book for operation of plant and machinery, temporary dead stock register, permanent dead stock register shall be produced on demand during regular and annual physical verification by the authority or authorized officials on behalf of authority.