Lok Sabha Question No. 223 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-09
Subject: Cold Chain Infrastructure
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *223

ANSWERED ON 09 TH  JULY, 2019

## COLD CHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE

## *223.  DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE: DR. HEENA GAVIT:

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

- (a) the objectives of integrated cold chain project/programme and Value Addition Infrastructure;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  achieved  the  objectives  for  which  the  programme  was launched,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (c) the  details  of  the  small  scale  cold  storage  plants  undertaken  by  the  Government  at  the village or district level during each of the last three years, State-wise;
- (d) the details of employment generated in the food processing sector through food processing units and mega food projects in the country during the said period; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to ensure adequate cold chain infrastructure in the country?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SMT. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  to  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *223 FOR ANSWERED ON 09 TH  JULY, 2019 REGARDING 'COLD CHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE'

- (a):      The objective of the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure is to arrest post-harvest losses of perishables by encouraging the creation of primary processing, preservation and value addition infrastructure and transportation facilities (reefer/insulated vans) across the country.
- (b):         To  meet  these  objectives,  the  Scheme  for  Integrated  Cold  Chain  and  Value  Addition Infrastructure was launched in 2008. 292 projects have so far been approved and 154 projects have started commercial production out of which 117 projects were completed in the last 5 years (since May, 2014).
- (c):       Ministry of Food Processing Industries does not set up stand-alone cold storage projects. Small scale cold storage plants are assisted by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW). The details of which are placed at Annexure.
- (d):     As per the latest Annual Survey of Industries (2016-17), the number of persons engaged in registered food processing sector was 18.54 lakhs, as against 17.65 lakhs in the year 2015-16, which was an increase of 5.03 percent over 2015-16.  Unregistered food processing sector supports employment to 51.11 lakh workers as per the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 73 rd report 2015-16.
- (e): Ministry of Food Processing Industries has approved 187 new cold chain projects in the last  five  years.  Besides,  a  number  of  policy  decisions  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to encourage creation of cold chain infrastructure in the country, including:
- (i) A special fund of Rs. 2000 crore has been set up by the Government in National Bank for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  (NABARD)  to  make  available  affordable  credit  to designated food parks and the food processing units in such parks.
- (ii)  Creation  of  cold  chain  infrastructure  has  been  covered  under  Priority  Sector Lending.
- (iii) 100% deduction allowed for expenditure incurred on investment under Section 35-AD of the Income Tax Act 1961, concessional 5% Basic Customs Duty (BCD) presently available under project imports for cold storage, cold room for cold chain including pre-cooling units, pack houses, sorting and grading lines and ripening chambers and customs duty has also been reduced from 10% to 5% for refrigerated containers (in 2016).

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO  *223  FOR  ANSWERED  ON  09 TH   JULY,  2019  REGARDING  COLD CHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE

State-wise cold storage projects assisted by DAC&FW during the last three years (2016-17 to 2018-19)

|                  | YEARS     | YEARS     | YEARS     |
|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| State            | 2016 - 17 | 2017 - 18 | 2018 - 19 |
|                  | Number    | Number    | Number    |
| Andhra Pradesh   | 11        | 2         | 2         |
| Assam            | 2         | 0         | 2         |
| Bihar            | 0         | 0         | 3         |
| Chhattisgarh     | 0         | 0         | 1         |
| Gujarat          | 72        | 116       | 67        |
| Haryana          | 24        | 9         | 3         |
| Himachal Pradesh | 10        | 0         | 7         |
| Jammu &Kashmir   | 4         | 17        | 1         |
| Jharkhand        | 1         | 0         | 0         |
| Karnataka        | 5         | 6         | 4         |
| Kerala           | 0         | 1         | 0         |
| Madhya Pradesh   | 0         | 3         | 3         |
| Maharashtra      | 6         | 0         | 0         |
| Manipur          | 0         | 1         | 0         |
| Odisha           | 7         | 2         | 0         |
| Punjab           | 1         | 14        | 19        |
| Rajasthan        | 2         | 1         | 10        |
| Tamil Nadu       | 0         | 0         | 3         |
| Telangana        | 5         | 0         | 4         |
| Uttar Pradesh    | 42        | 61        | 17        |
| Uttarakhand      | 1         | 1         | 0         |
| Total            | 193       | 234       | 146       |

(Data provided by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare)