Lok Sabha Question No. 5807 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Pack Houses
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JOSE K. MANI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5807

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD   APRIL, 2018

## PACK HOUSES

5807.  SHRI JOSE K. MANI:

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

- (a) whether it is true that there are only 250 pack houses to undertake pre-shipment cleaning, grading and packaging of export-bound consignment against the estimated requirement of 70000;
- (b) if  so, the measures taken by the Government to address the paucity of pack houses in the country; and
- (c) whether the Government has set up any target to meet the demand of pack houses, if so, the details thereof and the estimated time by which the requirement of pack houses is likely to be met?

## 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): As per study titled 'All India Cold-chain Infrastructure Capacity (AICIC -2015)' commissioned  by  National  Centre  for  Cold  Chain  Development  (NCCD)  and  conducted  by NABCONS reported requirement of about 70,000 pack houses for handling perishable produce for domestic as well as export markets in the country. The study also estimated that there were about 250 number of integrated pack houses in the country.

The pack houses meant to undertake pre-shipment cleaning, grading, packing of export-bound  consignments  need  to  meet  certain  standards  and  recognition  by  Agricultural  and Processed  Food  Products  Export  Development  Authority  (APEDA)  under  their  pack  house recognition  scheme.  So  far,  APEDA  has  recognized  213  pack  houses  in  the  country  for  export purpose.

- (b) & (c): Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  is  implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for holistic development of Horticulture which  inter-alia  provides  assistance  for  creation  of  post  harvest  management  infrastructure including  setting  up  of  pack  houses  for  perishable  horticulture  produce  in  the  country.  The assistance is available to an individual or an enterprise through State Horticulture Mission/National Horticulture Board for setting up of farm pack house (9M x 6M) with cost of  Rs.4.00 lakh per unit and integrated pack house (9M x 18M) with cost of Rs. 50.00 lakh per unit.

These  components  are  demand/  entrepreneur-driven  from  among  entrepreneurs,  private companies, cooperatives, farmers groups etc through commercial ventures for which assistance @ 50%  of  admissible  project  cost  for  farm  pack  houses  is  provided.  For  integrated  pack  house assistance @ 35% of the admissible project in general areas and @ 50% in hilly and schedule area is available as credit linked and back ended subsidy.

Further, APEDA has increased the financial assistance from Rs.75.00 lakh to Rs.1.00 crore (@  40%  of  the  total  eligible  project  cost)  for  setting  up  of  pack  houses  recognized  for  export purpose.

So far, 20710 on-farm pack houses and 154 integrated pack houses have been established under MIDH.

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