Lok Sabha Question No. 74 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Prices of Vegetables and Fruits
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: B.V. NAYAK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 74

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  MARCH, 2016

## PRICES OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

## *74.     SHRI B.V. NAIK:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the prices of vegetables and fruits in various parts of the country have shown a rising trend during the last three months and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the increase in prices of vegetables and fruits is mainly on account of high margins of middlemen and other factors and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard along with steps taken to increase the production of vegetables and fruits in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण

½ãâ¨ããè (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

(a) to (c):

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  74   DUE FOR REPLY ON 1 ST  MARCH, 2016.

- (a):      As  per  the  Wholesale  Price  Index  (WPI)  (Base  Year  2004-05)  and  the  Combined Consumer Price Index (CPI) (Base Year 2012), there is no rise in the prices of fruits and vegetables during last three months. The movement of the WPI and CPI are as under:
- (b):          Price  of  fruits  and  vegetables  can  increase  due  to  various  reasons  such  as  crop seasonality  and  unfavourable  weather  conditions.    The  difference  between  wholesale  and retail price is due  to transportation  cost,  loading/unloading  expenses,  grading/sorting, wholesaler's  margins,  wastages  during  movements/weighting,  location  of  retail  shop,  fixed overhead expenses of retailers and margins of retailers.
- (c):        Government  is  implementing  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture (MIDH), which provides support for production of planting material, vegetable seed production,  vegetable  cultivation,  rejuvenation  of  senile  orchards,  protected  cultivation, creation  of  water  resources,  creation  of  infrastructure    to  prevent  post  harvest  losses  of horticultural  crops  and  adoption  of  Integrated  Nutrient  Management  (INM)/Integrated  Pest Management (IPM). Assistance for increasing horticulture production is also being provided under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana  (RKVY) scheme . Basic and strategic research in the field  of  production  of  vegetables  and  fruits  is  conducted  by  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural Research (ICAR) with its 15 Horticultural Research Institutes/Directorates/National Research Centres  and  8  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Programmes  (AICRPs)/All  India  Network Programmes (AINPs).

| Commodities         | Wholesale Price Index   | Wholesale Price Index   | Wholesale Price Index   | Consumer Price Index   | Consumer Price Index   | Consumer Price Index   |
|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|                     | November, 2015          | December, 2015          | January, 2016           | November, 2015         | December, 2015         | January, 2016          |
| Fruits & Vegetables | 279.1                   | 273.8                   | 257.5                   |                        |                        |                        |
| (1) Vegetables      | 330.7                   | 318.4                   | 289.4                   | 158.4                  | 146.7                  | 141.5                  |
| (2) Fruits          | 236.6                   | 237.1                   | 231.2                   | 128.2                  | 126.6                  | 125.9                  |

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