(a): whether the Government plans to build cold storage in rural areas particularly in West Bengal to provide storage facilities to the farmers to store perishable fruits and vegetables to enable them to get reasonable prices and to protect them from selling their goods at a lesser price during harvesting season itself; and
(b): if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) & (b): The Government does not setup cold storage of its own. However, Government is implementing various schemes under which financial assistance is provided for setting up of cold storages in rural areas throughout the country including West Bengal. These cold storages are setup for bulk storages of crops both in urban and rural areas. However, no separate data for cold storages in urban and rural areas is centrally maintained by this Department.
Details of State-wise, year-wise cold storages sanctioned under MIDH since 2017 to till now are Annexed.
Schemes under which financial assistance is provided for setting up of cold storages in the country are as follows:
i. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):
Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which financial assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including setting up of cold storages. The component is demand/entrepreneur driven for which Government assistance in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy is available at the rate of 35% (for general areas) and 50% (for hilly and scheduled areas) of eligible capital cost of the project for both public and private sector enterprises.
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ii. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY):
Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure as one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with the objective of reducing post-harvest losses of horticulture & 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 35% for general areas and 50% for North East States, 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 of Rs.10 crore per project for setting up Integrated Cold Chain projects including Irradiation facility. Standalone cold storages are not covered under the Scheme.