Lok Sabha Question No. 1733 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Operation Greens
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, ANJU BALA, B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1733

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  March, 2018

## OPERATION GREENS

1733.    SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched 'Operation Greens' to address price fluctuations in  potato,  tomato  and  onion  for  the  benefit  of  farmers  and  consumers  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has announced that MSP for kharif crops will be one and half times of their production cost and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is planning to develop 22000 e-linked Gramin Agri Markets and if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated therefor;
- (d) whether the Government is planning to restructure National Bamboo Mission to promote bamboo sector, if so, the details thereof and the various steps taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the timeline by which the above schemes/plans will be implemented in the country, Statewise and scheme-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a): Yes,  Madam.    In  the  budget  speech  2018-19,  Hon'ble  Finance  Minister  announced launching of  'Operation  Green'  on  lines  of  'Operation  Flood'  to  promote  Farmers  Producers Organization (FPOs), agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management with an allocation of Rs. 500 crore.

In  this  regard,  consultation with stakeholders was held 05.02.2018 under chairmanship of  Secretary,  Food  Processing  Industries  (FPI)  and  on  20.02.2018  under  Chairpersonship  of Hon'ble  Minister,  FPI  to  deliberate  on  the  framework  and  interventions  of  the  'Operation Greens'.

Contd..2/-

Based on the inputs from the various stakeholders, the scheme is under preparation in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

(b):      The  Union  Budget  for  2018-19  has  announced  the  pre-determined  principle  to  keep Minimum Support Price (MSP) at levels of one and half times the cost of production for Kharif crops also in the lines of that already implemented for Rabi crops in October 2017.

Government has increased MSPs of 6 mandated rabi crops for 2017-18 session on 24 th October, 2017 on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP).  The  MSPs  fixed  by  the  Government  for  rabi  crops  provide  adequate  return  over weighted average cost of production. The return over weighted average cost of production for MSPs fixed by Government for rabi crops for 2017-18 has been in excess of 50% for majority of rabi  crops  with  return  of  112.4%  for  wheat,  88.4%  for  rapeseed/mustard,  79.6%  for  masur, 78.8% for gram and 66.9% for barley.

Earlier  in  this  year  Government  had  increased  the  MSPs of 14 mandated Kharif crops. The MSPs fixed by Government for 3 kharif crops viz. bajra, tur  and urad provide returns of more than 50% over weighted average cost of production.

(c):    As per Union Budget Announcement 2018-19, the Government has decided to develop and  upgrade  existing  22,000  rural  haats  into  Gramin  Agriculture  Markets  (GrAMs).  In  these GrAMs, physical infrastructure is targeted to be  strengthen using Mahatama Gandhi National Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA)  and  other  Government  schemes.  An  AgriMarket  Infrastructure  Fund  with  a  corpus  of  Rs.  2000  crore  is  targeted  to  be  set  up  for developing  and  upgrading  agricultural  marketing  infrastructure  in  the  22000  GrAMs  and  585 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).

(d):    Budget Announcement for restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was made with an  outlay  of  Rs.  1290  crore.  The  NBM  would  address  complete  value  chain  development  of bamboo, for holistic development of the sector, has been approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee in its meeting held on 19.01.2018 for implementation from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Though the NBM would be anchored in DAC&FW, a multi disciplinary approach has been adopted by assigning specific roles to concerned Ministries and Departments.

(e): As per details provided in point (a) to (d).

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