Lok Sabha Question No. 2967 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Construction of Cold Storage for Onion
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Md Abu Taher Khan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2967

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  MARCH, 2025

## CONSTRUCTION OF COLD STORAGE FOR ONION

## 2967. MD ABU TAHER KHAN :

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFAR क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  most  people  in  Murshidabad  District  are dependent on onion farming which is one of the valuable crop here;
- (b) whether the  Government  is  also  aware  that  farmers  of  Murshidabad  are  suffering due  to  the  lack  of  appropriate  preservation  facilities  of  onion,  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the Government thereon; and
- (c) the steps taken to construct the cold storage for onions, particularly in Murshidabad district?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a):  As  per  the  information  furnished  by  the  State  Government  of West  Bengal,  the  total cultivable area in the District of Murshidabad is 3.65 lakh ha out of which 13071 ha is used for onion cultivation.

(b):  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries ( MoFPI ) is  implementing  Operation  Greens scheme  as  one  of  the  component  schemes  of  the  Centre  Sector  Umbrella  Scheme  i.e. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) since 2018-19. Under Operation GreensLong Term Interventions Scheme, MoFPI provides financial assistance  @35% of eligible project cost for projects in General Areas and @50% of eligible project cost for projects in Difficult Areas as well as for projects of SC/ST, FPOs and SHGs with maximum grants-inaid of ₹15 crore per project for setting up of Integrated Value Chain Development Projects and that of ₹10 crore per project for setting up of Standalone Post Harvest Infrastructure Projects in the identified production cluster of 22 perishable crops including Onions.

Under  Operation  Greens  scheme,  financial  assistance  is  provided  as  grant-in-aid  for formation of FPOs (Farmer Producer Organization), setting up of post-harvest processing and marketing infrastructure in the identified production clusters.

Under the scheme, MoFPI has approved 44 Operation Greens projects for various identified crops in identified cluster. None  of  the project has been  sanctioned  in Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Further,  as  per  the  information  received  from  Government  of  West  Bengal,  the Department  of  FPI  &  Horticulture,  Govt.  of  WB  has  already  constructed  Low  cost  onion storage  Structure  (25  MT)  under  MIDH  scheme  through  District  Horticulture  Office, Murshidabad for individual beneficiary as follows-

| Year    |   No of unit constructed | Remarks                                         |
|---------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                       85 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |
| 2021-22 |                       27 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |
| 2022-23 |                      106 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |
| 2023-24 |                      104 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |
| 2024-25 |                       95 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |
| Total   |                      417 | Estimated Capacity for onion storage: 10,425 MT |

The State Government of West Bengal has also reported that a total subsidy of Rs. 364.875  lakh  has  been  released  to  beneficiaries  of  Murshidabad  district.  In  addition  to above, in  Murshidabad district,  other Departments  have also  constructed Onion  Storage for 1908 MT capacity under different State Govt. Schemes.

(c):  Government  is  implementing  various  schemes  under  which  financial  assistance  is available for setting up of cold storage for perishable horticultural produce 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  Construction/Expansion/  Modernization  of  cold storages of capacity up to 5000 MT in the country including Uttar Pradesh on the basis of Annual Action Plan (AAP) received from States/UTs. AAPs are prepared by the States/UTs based on their requirement, capacity and availability of resources. The component of Cold Storage  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 50% of the project cost in hilly and scheduled areas through respective State Horticulture Missions.

Under  the  scheme,  assistance  is  available  to  individuals,  Groups  of  farmers/ growers/  consumers,  Partnership/  Proprietary  firms,  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs),  Farmers Producer  Organization  (FPOs),  Companies,  Corporations,  Cooperatives,  Cooperative Marketing Federations, Local bodies, Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) & Marketing Boards and State Governments.

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 20000 MT is available.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is also implementing a Scheme for Integrated  Cold  Chain,  Food  Processing  and  Preservation  Infrastructure  as  one  of  the components  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Sampada  Yojana  (PMKSY)  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,  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. 10.00 crore per project for setting up of integrated cold chain projects including irradiation facility. Standalone cold storages are not covered under the Scheme.

All  the  above  schemes  are  demand/entrepreneur  driven  through  commercial ventures  for  which  government  assistance  is  in  the  form  of  credit  linked  back  ended subsidy/grant-in-aid and is provided based on the proposals received from the States/entrepreneur.

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.

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