Lok Sabha Question No. 3565 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-08
Subject: Prices of Fruits, Vegetables and Milk
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3565

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH   AUGUST, 2017

## PRICES OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MILK

3565.     SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  prices  of  fruits,  vegetables,  milk  and  other  agricultural  commodities  have increased manifold beyond the reach of the common man;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  prices  of  tomatoes  in  wholesale  and  retail  markets  have  increased exorbitantly during the last few months;
- (d) if so, the details thereof indicating the rise in prices in terms of percentage; and
- (e) the long term and short-term measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to bring down the prices of fruits, vegetables, milk and other agricultural commodities so as to bring them within the reach of the common man?

## 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) & (b):     The wholesale prices of fruits in the country are broadly in a normal range but, that of certain vegetables like tomato and onion have exhibited spikes in prices in the month of July, 2017 after heavy rainfall and floods in few states.

For  tomatoes,  June-July-August  is  the  lean  production  period  and  the  crop  was  also damaged due to monsoon rain and disruption of supply due to floods.

The prices of potato are stable in major potato producing States.

The  procurement  and  sale  price  of  milk  are  decided  based  on  the  input  cost  of  milk production by the District Cooperative Milk Unions in consultation with State Cooperative Milk Federation and the State Governments. The prices of milk are broadly the same over past six months.

(c) & (d):        Damage to the tomato crop due to rain and disruption of supply-line on account of flood has resulted in rise in prices in tomatoes in the month of June and July. The increase   in wholesale and retail  prices  of  tomatoes  during  June-July,  2017    in  terms  of  percentage  over previous month are as given below:

| Months   | %increase over previous month Wholesale Price Retail Price   | %increase over previous month Wholesale Price Retail Price   |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| June     | 37.59%                                                       | 27.16%                                                       |
| July     | 90.49%                                                       | 167.21%                                                      |

(Source: AGMARKNET for  Wholesale Price) (Source: Deptt of Consumer Affairs for Retail Price)

(e):      Steps taken by government to control the prices of fruits and vegetables are as follows:

· The Govt. is implementing the scheme called electronic National Agriculture market (e-NAM) to lower transaction costs to buyers and stable prices and availability to consumers.

·  Farmers  are  mobilized  into  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  (FPOs)  for  aggregation  and economies of scale. Efforts are being made to link FPOs to market by way of direct marketing farmer consumer markets/ Apni Mandi and e-markets.

·  Assistance  is  provided  for  development  of  post  harvest  management  and  marketing infrastructure such as cold storages, ripening chamber, pack houses, reefer vehicles, primary and wholesale markets, Kisan Mandies, etc.

·  Market  Intervention  Scheme  (MIS)  for  procurement  of  horticultural  commodities  which  are perishable in nature and are not covered under Price Support Scheme

Apart from the above, the following schemes are being implemented by this Ministry to increase the production, strengthen existing procurement  infrastructure, processing  and marketing of milk, which helps in stabilizing the prices of milk in the county.

-  National Dairy Plan Phase -I
- National Programme for Bovine Breeding & Dairy Development (NPBB&DD)
- Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS)

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