Lok Sabha Question No. 3999 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-19
Subject: Cold Chain Infrastructure for Agricultural Produce
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Shashank Mani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3999

ANSWERED ON 19 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## COLD CHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

## 3999.  SHRI SHASHANK MANI:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken initiatives to support farmers by reducing post-harvest losses and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to initiate specific programmes to enhance cold chain infrastructure for agricultural produce;
- (c) if so, the details thereof including contribution of these initiatives for improving farmers' incomes; and
- (d) whether the Government has any further plans to expand/enhance support for reducing post-harvest losses by strengthening cold chain infrastructure and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a).  Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) implements Central Sector Umbrella Scheme-Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to create post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities to boost the overall development of the food processing sector including reduction in post-harvest losses, enhancing value addition, providing better prices to farmers, etc. The component schemes under PMKSY are (i) Mega Food Park scheme (MFP Scheme), discontinued w.e.f. 01.04.2021;  (ii)  Integrated  Cold  Chain  and  Value Addition  Infrastructure;  (iii)  Infrastructure  for  Agro-processing  Clusters;  (iv)  Creation  of  Backward  and Forward  Linkages,  discontinued  w.e.f.  01.04.2021  (v)  Creation  /  Expansion  of  Food  Processing  & Preservation Capacities; and (vi) Operation Greens. Under these component schemes, MoFPI provides credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation infrastructure which, interalia, includes cold storages to minimize post-harvest losses. Apart from MoFPI, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Scheme in July 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package in order to improve post-harvest infrastructure and create community farming assets. The AIF Scheme facilitates sanction of medium to long term loans by Banks and other lending institutions for the setting up of cold storage facilities, warehouses and processing units, aimed at reducing crop wastage and enhancing value addition.

(b) to (d).  The Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure under PMKSY has been envisaged  as  a  comprehensive  package  for  creation  of  modern  infrastructure  with  efficient  supply  chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. It covers creation of infrastructure facility along the entire supply chain  viz.  pre-cooling,  weighing,  sorting,  grading,  waxing  facilities  at  farm  level,  multi  product/multi temperature cold storage, CA storage, packing facility, IQF, blast freezing in the distribution hub and reefer vans, mobile cooling units for facilitating distribution of non-horticulture, horticulture, fish/marine (except shrimp), dairy, meat and poultry. Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure scheme is demand driven and proposals are invited under the scheme from time to time across the country based on availability of  funds  by  floating  Expression  of  Interests  (EoIs)  in  the  Ministry's  website.  Individuals  including  small farmers as well as entity/ organization such as FPOs/ FPCs/NGOs/PSUs/Firms/Companies, etc. are eligible to avail benefits under the scheme. Under the scheme a total of 399 cold chain projects have been approved since inception  (2008)  and  out  of  these,  284  cold  chain  projects  have  been  completed  and  commenced  their commercial operations till 31.10.2024.

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