Lok Sabha Question No. 1431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Cold Storage Facilities in the North-Eastern Region
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Vincent H Pala

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1431

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 th  DECEMBER, 2021

## COLD STORAGE FACILITIES IN THE NORTH-EASTERN REGION

1431.  SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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

- (a) the number of Government cold storage facilities in the North Eastern Region, Statewise;
- (b) the steps taken to enhance the functioning of cold storage facilities in Meghalaya; and
- (c) the funds allocated for the same, State-wise?

## ANSWER

- (a) & (b): Government is implementing various schemes to enhance the cold storage facilities in

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) the country including North-Eastern Region including Meghalaya:

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  through  State  Governments.  The component  is  demand/  entrepreneur-driven  from  among  entrepreneurs,  private  companies, cooperatives, farmers groups etc through commercial ventures for which assistance at the rate of  35%  of  admissible  project  cost  in  general  areas  and  50%  in  hilly  and  scheduled  area  is available as credit linked back ended subsidy.

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'. It is a demand/entrepreneur driven under which credit linked backended 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 components  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Sampada  Yojana  with  the  objective  of  reducing  postharvest 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,  Integrated  Tribal  Development  Programme (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. Standalone cold storages are not covered under the Scheme.

The  State wise distribution of cold storages in North  Eastern Region  including Meghalaya under these schemes is at Annexure - I .

(c):     These  schemes  are  demand/entrepreneur  driven,  for  which  financial  assistance  is provided  as  per  availability  of  funds  and  resources.  Under  MIDH  scheme,  funds  for  various components including cold storage are allocated to States on the basis of Annual Action Plans (AAPs) received from State Governments, availability of resources and requirement of States. The  details  of  funds  earmarked  by  North  Eastern  States  in  their  Annual  Action  Plan  for establishment of cold storage during last three years and current year are at Annexure - II .

## Annexure - I

## State wise distribution of Cold Storages in North Eastern States (as on 30.09.2021)

| S. No.   | Name of the State   |   Number of cold storage |   Capacity (MT) |
|----------|---------------------|--------------------------|-----------------|
| 1        | Arunachal Pradesh   |                        2 |            6000 |
| 2        | Assam               |                       41 |          197096 |
| 3        | Manipur             |                        2 |            4500 |
| 4        | Meghalaya           |                        4 |            8200 |
| 5        | Mizoram             |                        3 |            4001 |
| 6        | Nagaland            |                        3 |            7150 |
| 7        | Sikkim              |                        2 |            2100 |
| 8        | Tripura             |                       14 |           46354 |
|          | Total               |                       71 |          275401 |

[Source:  Directorate  of  Marketing  and  Inspection  (DMI)  upto  2009,  National  Horticulture  Board  (NHB),  National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH) & Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)]

## Annexure - II

## State wise funds earmarked by North Eastern States in their

## Annual Action Plan for establishment of cold storage during                                Last Three years (2018 - 19 to 2020 - 21) and Current year (2021 - 22)

(Rs. in lakh)

|   S. No. | State             |   Funds earmarked by NE States in AAPs for Cold Storage |
|----------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Arunachal Pradesh |                                                   112.5 |
|        2 | Assam             |                                                  1900   |
|        3 | Manipur           |                                                    50   |
|        4 | Sikkim            |                                                   100   |
|        5 | Tripura           |                                                   490   |

Note: Funds are allocated based on the proposals in the form of Annual Action Plans (AAPs) received from the State Governments.

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