Lok Sabha Question No. 1747 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Operation Green for Farmers’ Income
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN, RODMAL NAGAR, PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA, POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM, DHARMENDRA YADAV, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, OM PRAKASH YADAV, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, JANARDAN MISHRA, GOWDAR MALLIKARJUNAPPA SIDDESHWARA, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1747

ANSWERED ON 6 TH  MARCH, 2018

## OPERATION GREEN FOR FARMERS' INCOME

## 1747.  SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:

SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA:

SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWARA:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a)        whether the  Government proposes to launch Operation Green on the lines of operation flood to achieve the targets and aims of doubling the farmers' income by 2022 across the country  including  Rajasthan,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Bihar  and  Punjab  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b)     whether the Government has finalised the modalities of Operation Green and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)     whether the Government has held any consultations with the stakeholders to determine the  contours  of  Operation  Green  with  an  allocation  of  Rs.  500  crore  with  a  focus  to prevent distress sale by tomato, potato and onion farmers and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government  is also considering to create infrastrucutre for natural preservation  of  tomato,  potato  and  onion  crops  and  promote  the  farmers  producers organizations, agri-logistics processing facilities and professional management and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to launch any new scheme to remove the middlemen and purchase agricultural produce directly from the farmers and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  linked  the  production  areas with  the  procurement/ consumption centres in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

- (a):    In  the  budget  speech  2018-2019,  Hon'ble  Finance  Minister  announced  launching  of ' Operation  Greens ' on the lines of 'Operation  Flood'  to  promote  Farmer  Producers Organizations (FPOs), agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management with an allocation  of  Rs,  500  crore.  The  successful  implementation  of  this  scheme  has  potential  to increase  the  income  of  the  farmers  in  the  catchment  area  of  tomato,  onion  and  potato  crops across the country.
- (b)  &  (c):    Ministry  had  organized  two  consultations  with  stakeholders  05/02/2018  and  on 20/02/2018  to  determine  the  contours  of  'Operation  Greens'.  Based  on  the  inputs  from  the various  stakeholders,  the  modalities  of  'Operation  Greens'  are  being  worked  out  by  the Ministry.
- (d):  Under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer  Welfare,  assistance  is  provided  for  development  of  infrastructure  for  post-harvest management and marketing such as marketing including establishment cold storages, processing units, pack houses, pre-cooling units, controlled atmosphere storage, reefer vans, integrated cold chain  and  setting  up  ripening  chambers.  Further,  under  post-harvest  component  credit  linked back ended subsidy @ 35% to @ 50% of the project cost is available. Assistance for creation of cold storage/cold chain component is available to individuals, group farmers/growers/consumer, partnership/    proprietary  firms,  self-help  groups,  farmers  producer  organizations,  companies, corporations,  cooperatives,  cooperative  marketing    federations,  agricultural  produce  market committees & marketing boards, state governments and local bodies like panchayats.

Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), implemented by this Ministry, there  is  several  existing  schemes  such  as  Mega  Food  Parks,  Integrated  Cold  Chain  &  Value Addition Infrastructure, Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation of Backward and Forward  Linkages  and  Creation/Expansion  of  Food  Processing  &  Preservation  Capacities,  for creation of preservation and processing infrastructure, processing capacities, logistics etc. for all agriculture produces, including tomato, potato and onion crops.

(e) & (f):   Government has launched National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) on 14th April, 2016 with objective to reduce price gap, induce competition and transparency in sale transactions. eNAM has been implemented in 470 wholesale markets in 14 States in which  competitive online bidding system has been introduced for better price realization by the farmers. e-NAM will link production areas with consumption centres in the country.

Further, the Government released a new model 'The Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing  (Promotion  &  Facilitation)  Act,  2017'  on  24th  April,  2017  for  its  adoption  by States/UTs.  The  provisions  include  setting  up  of  private  markets,  direct  marketing,  farmerconsumer markets, special commodity markets, declaring warehouses/silos/cold storages or such structures as market sub yards. Adoption of these reforms by State, create alternate marketing channels for better price realization by farmers.

******