Lok Sabha Question No. 2398 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-06
Subject: Cold Storage for Perishable Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Anurag Sharma, Shri Mahendra Singh Solanky, Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2398

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 06 TH  AUGUST, 2024

## COLD STORAGE FOR PERISHABLE CROPS

2398.  SHRI ANURAG SHARMA: SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI: SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH SOLANKY: DR. VINOD KUMAR BIND:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  farmers  are  compelled  to  sell  fruits  and vegetables at low price, incurring huge loss as produce is perishable;
- (b) if  so,  the  steps  taken  to  save  the  farmers  from  incurring  huge  loss  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  any  effort  have  been  made  to  provide  cold  storage  facility  to  the  farmers producing perishable crops;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, if not the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether any steps have been taken to provide cold storage at low cost; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) & (b): No such report has been received from any of the States.

(c) to (f): 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 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 10000 MT is available. In case of North East region, the units with capacity above 1000 MT are also eligible for assistance.

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  postharvest  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, 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  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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