Lok Sabha Question No. 329 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Subsidy for Agricultural Exports
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF IDNIA MINISTRY O1F AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *329

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 st  DECEMBER, 2021

## SUBSIDY FOR AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS

- *329.  SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH: SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  extends  sops  or  concessions  under  transport  and marketing scheme for agri exports, through mandis and at purchase centres;
- (b) if so, the details and the results thereof, State-wise; and
- (c) if  not,  the  time  by  which  such  a  scheme  is  proposed  to  be  announced  for  the country including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 329 FOR ANSWER ON 21.12.2021 BY SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH & SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY REGARDING 'SUBSIDY FOR AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS'.

(a) to (c): As  per  the  information  received  from  Ministry  of  Commerce  &  Industry, Government  has  brought  out  a  Central  Sector  Scheme-  'Transport  and  Marketing Assistance  (TMA)  for  Specified  Agriculture  Products'-  for  providing  assistance  for  the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce, which is likely to mitigate  disadvantage  of  higher  cost  of  transportation  of  export  of  specified  agriculture products due to trans-shipment and to promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets. Initially the Scheme was available for exports effected from 1.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for the exports effected up to  31.03.2021.Further  continuation  of  the  Scheme,  for  the  exports  effected  up  to 31.12.2023, has been approved with some modifications to the scheme.

Promotion  of agricultural exports is a  continuous  process. Agricultural  and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) provides assistance to its registered exporters and other stakeholders under Market Development component of its scheme "Agriculture & Processed Foods Export Promotion Scheme' of APEDA. Under the  scheme  component,  assistance  is  also  provided  for  participation  in  buyer-seller meets,  trade  delegations,  international  trade  fairs/exhibitions  etc.  Assistance  is  also provided for new product/ market development through conducting feasibility studies, trial shipments,  and  registration  of  brands  abroad.  Under  this  component,  assistance  upto 50%  of  the  total  cost  subject  to  a  ceiling  of  Rs.  10  lakhs  per  study  per  beneficiary  is available. further, the assistance will be upto 75% of the total cost subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10 lakhs per study per beneficiary if conducted by Trade Associations/ Indian missions   abroad/  Central / state Govt. agencies/ exporters  belonging to North - Eastern

States,  difficult  areas  namely  Himalayan  and  land  locked  states,  Island        Union Territories, SC/ST and women beneficiaries. For activities initiated by APEDA the funding shall  be  100%.  APEDA   also  disseminates  trade  data  and  market  intelligence  to  its registered  exporters.  Steps  have  also  be  taken  to  develop  packaging  standards  and transport protocols for specific products/ markets.

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  post  harvest  management  activities wherein subsidy is provided for the purchase of Refrigerated Transport vehicles 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.

Government had also introduced Kisan Rail trains to enable speedy movement of perishables  including  fruits,  vegetables,  meat,  poultry,  fishery  and  dairy  products  from production  or  surplus  regions  to  consumption  or  deficient  regions.  Kisan  Rail  enables farmers  to  utilize  the  vast  railway  network  to  gain  access  to  distant,  bigger  and  more lucrative  markets.  Since  the  launch  of  first  Kisan  Rail  service  on  7 th August,  2020  and upto  28 th November,  2021,  Indian  Railways  have  operated  approximately  1,642  Kisan Rail services. The State wise breakup of Kisan Rail trains is at Annexure-I .

Further,  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  has  extended  the  50% subsidy for transportation of any fruits  and   vegetables   through any type of train service provided by Indian Railways under Operation Greens- Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) to all notified fruits & vegetables (TOTAL) during 2020-21.

Krishi UDAN Scheme was launched in August 2020, on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their value realisation.  The  scope  of  the  Krishi  Udaan  Scheme  was  expanded  by  including  more districts/airports  across  the  country  with  an  aim  to  extend  benefit  to  the  farmers.  The Krishi UDAN is ongoing Scheme and agriculture products have been transported from the various destinations in the country. Ministry of Civil Aviation has extended the incentives to  the  freighters  and  passenger  to  cargo  flights  carrying  Agri-  produce  in  the  selected airports  under  Krishi  UDAN  2.0. Krishi  UDAN  2.0  primarily  focuses  on  transporting perishable food products from the hilly areas, northeastern states and tribal areas. The scheme  aims  to  ensure  seamless,  cost-effective,  time-bound  air  transportation  and associated  logistics  for  all  Agri-produce  originating  especially  from  Northeast,  hilly  and tribal regions of the country.

State-wise break up of Kisan Rail trains

| Sl.No   | State          |   No. of services |
|---------|----------------|-------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh |               126 |
| 2       | Assam          |                 1 |
| 3       | Gujarat        |                48 |
| 4       | Karnataka      |                45 |
| 5       | Maharashtra    |              1239 |
| 6       | Madhya Pradesh |                56 |
| 7       | Punjab         |                 2 |
| 8       | Telangana      |                48 |
| 9       | Tripura        |                 1 |
| 10      | Uttar Pradesh  |                36 |
| 11      | West Bengal    |                40 |
|         | Total          |              1642 |

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Annexure-I