(a) whether the Government intends to provide proper storage facilities and better marketing facilities to farmers in various States including Maharashtra through NGOs;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the number of licences for new cold storages sanctioned and the details of liberalising the procedure for setting up of cold storages?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)
(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 400 DUE FOR REPLY ON 21ST APRIL, 2015.
(a) & (b): The Government provides assistance for creation of scientific storage facilities through the Storage component of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) Sub-scheme of Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) to different categories of promoters including farmers, in all the States including Maharashtra. AMI is a demand driven, credit linked scheme and subsidy is directly back end adjusted to the promoter’s term loan account. Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), like other categories of beneficiaries, are also eligible for availing subsidy under the scheme @ 25 % for General category and @ 33.33 % for Special category.
The other schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Warehouse Infrastructure Fund (WIF), Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) Scheme also promote creation of storage.
Likewise, creation of better marketing facilities is also being promoted through schemes such as AMI sub-scheme of ISAM and Mission for Integrated Develop- ment of Horticulture (MIDH) of Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Schemes such as Central Sector Scheme of Cold Chain, Value addition and Preservation Infrastructure and National Mission on Food Processing are being implemented by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and by Ministry of Commerce through Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Develop- ment Authority (APEDA). These again are not being implemented through NGOs though they could avail assistance as promoters.
(c):As per information available, there is no Central licensing system for establishment of cold storages and liberalization of procedures for setting up of cold storages. However, the details of cold storages sanctioned by DAC under MIDH and MoFPI are at Annexure I & II respectively.