Centre has approved Rs 162 crore under ‘Operation Greens’ scheme that has an outlay of Rs 500 crore to stabilize the supply of ‘TOP’ crops i.e. tomato, onion and potato. This will ensure their availability throughout the year without price volatility.
The scheme that was announced in the budget 2018-19 aims at improving value realization for cultivators by targeted interventions to strengthen production clusters & Farmer Producer Organizations and linking them with the market.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Food Processing Minister said that 5 projects have been sanctioned in the country and more were lined up for approvals. She said, “The total outlay of the projects is Rs 426 crore and the grant we would give is Rs 162 crore”.
She further told that infrastructure projects for the agro commodities will come in Banaskantha in Gujarat, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and two in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar. Badal said, “Over 50,000 growers would benefit with these upcoming projects and it will also generate 10,000 jobs. Also storage of more than 90,000 tonnes & over 3.64 lakh tonnes of daily processing capacity will be created”.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India would be the nodal agency to execute price stabilization measures. The pattern of assistance will include grants-in-aid at the rate of 50 percent of the eligible project cost in all regions, subject to maximum Rs 50 crores/project. The ministry will give 50 percent subsidy on transportation of crops from production to storage & hiring of appropriate storage facilities.
As part of the long term integrated value chain development projects, Centre will help in capacity building of Farmer Producer Organizations, quality production, post-harvest processing facilities, agri-logistics, development of markets & creation and management of e-platform for demand & supply management of crops.
Source - ET
