Lok Sabha Question No. 4326 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-29
Subject: Cold Storage in Backward States
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay Jaiswal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4326

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH  MARCH, 2022

## COLD STORAGE IN BACKWARD STATES

4326.  DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

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

- (a) the current capacity of cold storage in backward States including Bihar;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  working  to  create  better  cold  storage  facilities  in States including Bihar;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the total employment in cold storages along with the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) As  per  available  information,  the  current  capacity  of  cold  storage  in  the country is 38.08 million MT.
- (b)  &  (c)  Government  is  implementing  following  schemes  under  which  financial assistance is provided for setting up of cold storage throughout the country.

Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  is  implementing  Mission  for Integrated  Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which financial assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including setting up of cold storages. The component is demand/entrepreneur driven for which Government assistance in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy is available at the rate of 35% of the project cost in general areas and at the rate of 50% of the project cost in hilly and scheduled areas.

Besides,  National  Horticulture  Board  (NHB)  is  implementing  a  scheme namely  'Capital  Investment  Subsidy  for  Construction/Expansion  /Modernization  of Cold  Storages  and  Storages  for  Horticulture  Products'.  Under  the  scheme,  credit linked  back-ended  subsidy  at  the  rate  of  35%  of  the  capital  cost  of  the  project  in general  areas  and  50%  in  case  of  North  East,  hilly  &  scheduled  areas  for construction/expansion/modernization  of  cold  storage  and  controlled  atmosphere (CA) storage of capacity above 5000 MT and up to 10000 MT is available. In case of North  East  region,  the  units  with  capacity  above  1000  MT  are  also  eligible  for assistance.

Further,  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MOFPI)  is  implementing  a Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure as one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana with the objective of  reducing  post-harvest  losses  of  horticulture  and  non-horticulture  produce  and providing  remunerative  price  to  farmers  for  their  produce.  Under  the  scheme, Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate of 35% for  general  areas and 50% for North East and Himalayan States, ITDP areas and Islands  for  storage  and  transport  infrastructure  and  at  the  rate  of  50%  and  75% respectively for value addition and processing infrastructure subject to a maximum grant-in-aid of Rs. 10 crore per project for setting up integrated cold chain projects including irradiation facility. The integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure can  be  set  up  by  individuals,  groups  of  entrepreneurs,  cooperative  societies,  Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), NGOs, Central/State PSUs, etc.

(d) The details of employment in cold storages does not maintained centrally.

*****