Lok Sabha Question No. 425 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-15
Subject: Production of Potatoes, Onions and Tomatoes
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sumedhanand Saraswati

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.425

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  15 TH  SEPTEMBER, 2020

## PRODUCTION OF POTATOES, ONIONS AND TOMATOES

425.   SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  potato,  onion  and  tomato  are  produced  in abundance in Rajasthan including Sikar;
- (b) if  so,  the  efforts  being  made  by  the  Government  to  ensure  that  the  farmers  get remunerative price for their produce;
- (c) whether  the  farmers  in  the  country  including  Sikar,  Rajasthan  do  not  have  any arrangement for preserving onions and tomatoes for a long time and as a result they are forced to sell their produce at low rates; and
- (d) if  so,  the  efforts  being  made  by  the  Government  to  preserve  the  produce  of  the farmers so that unnecessary hike in prices may also be checked?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)     Yes.  Potato,  Onion  and  Tomato  are  produced  in  Rajasthan.  As  per  the  latest  data reported  by  Government  of  Rajasthan,  the  area  and  production  of  Potato,  Onion  and Tomato in Rajasthan, and in particular Sikar  District, for 2019-20, is as under:-

(Area in Ha; Production in Metric Tonne)

| Crops   | Rajasthan   | Rajasthan   | Sikar District   | Sikar District   |
|---------|-------------|-------------|------------------|------------------|
|         | Area        | Production  | Area             | Production       |
| Potato  | 12996       | 235236      | 1                | 25               |
| Onion   | 74596       | 1241783     | 14507            | 380040           |
| Tomato  | 18340       | 101983      | 747              | 18004            |

contd…2/-

(b):    In order to provide farmers remunerative prices for their produce, the Government has taken several steps.

The  Government  has  implemented  National  Agriculture  Market  (e-NAM)  scheme  an online  virtual  trading  platform  to  provide  farmers  and  Farmer  Producer  Organizations (FPOs)  with  opportunity  for  transparent  price  discovery  for  remunerative  prices  for  their produce through competitive online bidding system.

Through  Agriculture  Marketing  Infrastructure  (AMI)  Scheme  development  of  private mandis, direct marketing, declaring  warehouses, silos, cold storages as deemed markets and  also developing Gramin  Haats  into Gramin  Agricultural  Markets  (GrAMs), are promoted.

The Government is now implementing a central Sector scheme namely 'Formation and Promotion  of  10,000  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  (FPOs)'  to  enhance  cost  effective production and higher net incomes to the member farmer producers through better liquidity and market linkages for their produce and become sustainable through collective action. In addition to above, to provide additional channels to farmers for marketing of their produce and promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce, the Government has promulgated 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020' on 5th June, 2020. Now, farmers can sell their produce from their farmgate, residence to processing units, warehouse, silos, cold storage etc. nearer to their farmgate.  Farmers  are  getting  better  price,  and  also  be  able  to  save  the  transportation  cost, unofficial payment of market fee, commission charges and other marketing charges in the existing system of agricultural marketing.

(c)  &(d):      Under  the  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH)  scheme implemented  by  this  Department,  financial  assistance  is  provided  for  taking  up  various activities related to development of horticulture including post-harvest management. For the development  of  post-harvest  management  including  establishment  of  Pack  house,  Precooling unit, Cold Storage, Mobile Pre-cooling unit, Cold Room (Staging), Primary/Mobile/Minimal  Processing  unit,  Ripening  Chamber,  evaporative/low  energy  cool chamber, low cost preservation unit, low cost onion storage structure, Pusa Zero Energy Cool Chamber, subsidy @ 35% (for general areas) and 50% (for hilly and tribal areas) of capital cost of the project is available for both public and private sector enterprises.

Government of Rajasthan has reported  that in order to preserve Onion, 7710 Low Cost Onion  Storage  structure  have  been    constructed    in  the  State  under  the  Misssion  for Integrated  Horticulture    Development  (MIDH)  and  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojna  (RKVY) schemes, with a Storage Capacity of 192.750 Metric Tonne.  There are approximately 306 such storages in Sikar  District. They have also  reported that 40 Cold Storages have been established    in  the  State  to  store  Potato  and  Tomato  produce.        Rajasthan  has  further reported  that no such arrangement is there for Tomatoes in Sikar District, as production is less.

Besides,  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries,  Govt.  of  India  is  also  implementing 'Operation Greens' for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) value chain.    Under  'Operations  Greens',  50%  subsidy  is  provided  for  the  transportation  and storage from surplus producing areas to consuming centres.

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