Lok Sabha Question No. 384 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-28
Subject: Expansion of Horticulture Value Chain
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 384

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH  MARCH, 2023

## EXPANSION OF HORTICULTURE VALUE CHAIN

*384.   SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has formulated any plan for expansion of Horticulture Value Chain across the country; (b) if so, the details thereof; and (c) the details of fresh steps taken by the Government to strengthen the horticulture sector especially the cultivation of vegetables and flowers for increasing the income of farmers?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष और िकसान क  याण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  RESPECT  OF  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  384  FOR  28 TH   MARCH,  2023  REGARDING EXPANSION OF HORTICULTURE VALUE CHAIN.

(a) & (b): For covering all aspects of Horticulture Value Chain across the country, Government  is  implementing  Mission  for  Integrated Development  of  Horticulture (MIDH),  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  throughout  the  country  as  a  result  of  which horticulture  production  in  the  country  has  been  increased  from  277.35  million  MT  in 2013-14  to  342.32  million  MT  in  2021-22  (3 rd   Advanced  estimates)  and  area  in  the country  has  been  increased  from  24.20  million  ha  in  2013-14  to  28.07  million  ha  in 2021-22 (3 rd  Advanced estimates).

For further strengthening of horticulture value chain across the country, Government has launched Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (HCDP) with the aim to enable holistic growth and development of identified horticulture clusters to make  them  globally  competitive  and  entrench  them  into  national  and  global  value chains.  HCDP  has  been  designed  to  leverage  the  geographical  specialization  of horticulture  clusters  and  promote  integrated  and  market  led  development  of  preproduction, production, post-harvest, logistics, branding and marketing activities. Under HCDP,  initially  12  clusters  have  been  selected  on  pilot  basis.  Details  of  these  12 clusters are at Annexure .

(c): Under  MIDH,  to  strengthen  the  horticulture  sector,  financial assistance  is provided for following major interventions/activities:

-  Setting  up  of  nurseries,  tissue  culture  units  for  production  of  quality  seed  and planting material.
-  Area  expansion  i.e.  establishment  of  new  orchards  and  gardens  for  fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices.
-  Rejuvenation of unproductive, old, and senile orchards.
-  Protected cultivation, i.e. poly-house, green-house, etc, to improve the productivity & grow off season high value vegetables and flowers.
-  Horticulture Mechanization.
-  Creation  of  Post-Harvest  infrastructure,  viz.,  pack  house,  pre-cooling  unit,  cold room, cold storage, ripening chamber, marketing infrastructure etc.
-  Creation of Market Infrastructure.
-  Establishment of crop specific Centres of Excellence under Bi-lateral cooperation and through Indian Research Institutes.
-  Training of farmers.

The above mentioned interventions and steps taken for strengthening of value chain has resulted in the following achievements of MIDH scheme during 2014-15 to 2022-23:

-  Nurseries :  -  807  nurseries  have  been  established  for  production  of  quality planting material.
-  Area Expansion :  An additional area of 12.16 Lakh ha under horticulture crops has been covered.
-  Rejuvenation : An area of 1.35 Lakh ha. has been covered under rejuvenation of old and senile orchards.
-  Protected  Cultivation :  An  area  of  2.64  Lakh  ha  has  been  covered  under protected cultivation.
-  Horticulture Mechanization :  2.49  Lakh  horticulture  mechanization  equipments have been distributed.
-  Post-Harvest Management  Infrastructures : 103634 units including pack houses, cold storage units, refrigerated vans, primary/ mobile processing units, ripening chambers, pre cooling units etc. have been established.
-  Cold storages : 1235 Cold Storages with 55.4 Lakh Tonne capacity created.
-  Market Infrastructures: 12904 market infrastructures have been set up.
-  Centres  of  Excellence: 49  Crop  specific  Centres  of  Excellence  have  been established under Indo-Israel Cooperation, Indo-Dutch Cooperation and through Research Institutes.
-  Training  of  Farmers : 8.71 lakh farmers have been trained for various horticulture activities.

Apart from HCDP, following major new initiatives have also been taken by the Government to strengthen the horticulture sector:

Clean Plant Programme :  Clean  Plant Programme (CPP) has been announced as a Central Sector Project during budget speech 2023-24. The project cost is around Rs. 2200 Cr with 50% funding from ADB over a period of 7 years.

Under the project National Horticulture Board (NHB) will anchor the establishment  of  Clean  Plant  Centres  in  the  country  in  collaboration  with  Asian Development  Bank  (ADB)  with  the  aim  to  ensure  access  to  disease  free  horticulture planting material for global competitiveness of the Indian horticulture sector.

Establishment of Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) Facilities : For imported high value horticulture  planting  material,  establishment  of  PEQ facilities  have  been  approved  at following 4 different locations:

1.  Central Institute of Arid Horticulture (CIAH), Bikaner, Rajasthan
2.  Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh
3.  Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH), Mukteswar, Uttarakhand
4.  Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), CITH, Srinagar, J&K

Further, MIDH scheme encourages aggregation of farmers into farmer's groups like  FIGs/FPOs/FPCs  to  bring  economy  of  scale  and  scope,  enhance  horticulture production, augment farmer's income, strengthen nutritional security, improve productivity  by  way  of  quality  germ-plasm,  planting  material  and  water  use  efficiency through micro irrigation, skill development and employment generation opportunities for farmers  in  horticulture  sector.  Capacity  buildings  of  farmers  and  technicians  is  also supported  for  adopting  improved  technologies  through  existing  institutions  like  State Agriculture Universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Institutes with Department of Horticulture in States

Apart from the above, National Horticulture Board (NHB) is implementing Central Sector scheme as a sub-scheme of MIDH. The schemes of NHB  includes 'Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management  of  Horticulture Crops' including vegetable & flowers and 'Capital Investment Subsidy  Scheme  for  construction/ expansion/ modernization of Cold Storages/Storages  of  Horticulture  Products'  which  in  turn  increase  the  income  of farmers.

The above mentioned interventions and steps taken for strengthening of value chain  has  resulted  in  the  following  achievements  of  NHB  scheme  during  2014-15  to 2022-23:

-  Area  Expansion :  An  additional  area  of  approx.  17783  ha  under  horticulture crops have been covered under protected and open field cultivation.
-  Primary  Processing  Units :  631  units  for  primary  processing  of  horticulture produce have been established.
-  Post-Harvest Management Infrastructures :  451  units  including  pack  houses, refrigerated vans, ripening chambers, pre cooling units etc. have been established.
-  Cold storages : 340 Cold Storages with 20.10 Lakh Tonne capacity created.

Further,  to  strengthen  agriculture  infrastructure  in  the  country,  Government  has launched Agriculture Infrastructure Funds (AIF) of Rs. 1.00 lakh crore. Under AIF, there is provision for collateral free term loan upto Rs. 2.00 crore and interest subvention of 3%  on  the  term  loan  availed  for  creation  of  post-harvest  infrastructure  including establishment of cold storages.

Annexure

## Details of identified 12 clusters under Horticulture Cluster Development Programme

|   S. No. | Crop        | Identified Clusters                | State                           |
|----------|-------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | Apple       | 1. Shopian 2. Kinnaur              | Jammu &Kashmir Himachal Pradesh |
|        2 | Mango       | 1. Lucknow 2. Kutch 3. Mehbubnagar | Uttar Pradesh Gujarat Telangana |
|        3 | Banana      | 1. Anantpur 2. Theni               | Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu       |
|        4 | Grapes      | 1. Nasik                           | Maharashtra                     |
|        5 | Pineapple   | 1. Siphahijala                     | Tripura                         |
|        6 | Pomegranate | 1. Solapur 2. Chitradurga          | Maharashtra Karnataka           |
|        7 | Turmeric    | 1. West Jaintia Hills              | Meghalaya                       |

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