Lok Sabha Question No. 1475 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-29
Subject: Cold Storage Infrastructure to Support Horticulture Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Kunduru Raghuveer

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1475

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH  JULY, 2025

## COLD STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT HORTICULTURE FARMERS

1475.  SHRI KUNDURU RAGHUVEER :

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

- (a) whether the Government  is  aware  of  the urgent  need  for  cold  storage  facilities  in Nalgonda district, Telangana, where over 42,000 acres of sweet orange and 11,000 acres of  chilli  are  cultivated annually, producing more than 2.4 lakh metric tonnes of perishable output;
- (b) whether  the  absence  of  cold  storage  infrastructure  is  leading  to  significant  postharvest  losses,  poor  shelf-life  and  reduced  market  value  for  farmers  and  if  so,  the Government's response thereto;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  sanction  cold  storage  units  under  MIDH  or other schemes to support horticulture farmers in Nalgonda; and
- (d) whether any steps will be taken to prioritize high-volume districts like Nalgonda for integrated post-harvest infrastructure including storage, processing  and  transport  to strengthen the local horticulture economy?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) & (b): As per information furnished by Government of Telangana, a total of 08 cold storages  with  capacity  of  40900  MTs  are  available  for  storage  of  horticulture  produce  in Nalgonda.  Further,  another  44  cold  storages  with  capacity  of  168014  MTs  and  42  cold storages  with  capacity  of  170376  MTs  are  also  available  in  Rangareddy  &  Khammam Districts  respectively  which  are  adjacent  to  erstwhile  Nalgonda  District  and  providing services to the Horticulture farmers of Nalgonda.
- (c) & (d): Government is implementing various schemes under which financial assistance  is  available  for  setting  up  of  post-harvest  management  infrastructure  for perishable horticultural produce throughout the country.

Department of Agriculture, & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for holistic development of Horticulture in the country to  reduce  the  wastage,  strengthen  the  local  horticulture  economy  and  increasing  PHM infrastructure in the country including Telangana. Under MIDH, assistance is available for development  of  Post  Harvest  Management  (PHM)  for  perishable  horticulture  crops including potato which includes establishment of pack house, Integrated pack house, precooling,  staging  cold  room,  cold  storages,  controlled  atmosphere  (CA)  storage,  reefer transport, primary/mobile and secondary processing units, setting up of ripening chambers and Integrated cold chain supply system etc.

Under  the  scheme,  assistance  is  available  for  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 and can be available through respective State Horticulture Mission.

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) implements 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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