**Executive Summary:**
This document addresses a query regarding the need for cold storage facilities in the Nalgonda district of Telangana to support horticulture farmers. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare responded, outlining existing cold storage capacities in and around Nalgonda and detailing various government schemes providing financial assistance for post-harvest management infrastructure development across the country. These schemes aim to reduce wastage, strengthen the horticulture economy, and increase post-harvest infrastructure.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Current Cold Storage Capacity in and around Nalgonda:**
* Nalgonda has 8 cold storages with a total capacity of 40,900 MTs.
* Rangareddy and Khammam districts (adjacent to the former Nalgonda district) have 44 and 42 cold storages with capacities of 168,014 MTs and 170,376 MTs respectively, serving Nalgonda's horticulture farmers.
* **Government Schemes for Post-Harvest Management Infrastructure:**
* **Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):** Supports holistic horticulture development, including post-harvest management (PHM) infrastructure for perishable crops.
* Assistance available for pack houses, cold storages, CA storage, reefer transport, processing units, ripening chambers, and integrated cold chain systems.
* Eligible applicants include individuals, farmer groups, FPOs, companies, cooperatives, local bodies, APMCs, marketing boards, and state governments.
* Applications are processed through State Horticulture Missions.
* **National Horticulture Board (NHB) Scheme:** Capital Investment Subsidy for Construction/Expansion/Modernization of Cold Storages.
* Provides credit-linked back-ended subsidy (35% in general areas, 50% in North East, hilly, and scheduled areas).
* Applies to cold storage and CA storage projects with capacities between 5000 MT and 20000 MT.
* **Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) Scheme:** Integrated Cold Chain, Food Processing and Preservation Infrastructure (under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana - PMKSY).
* Aims to reduce post-harvest losses and provide remunerative prices to farmers.
* Offers grant-in-aid (35-50% for storage and transport infrastructure, 50-75% for value addition and processing).
* Maximum grant-in-aid of Rs. 10.00 crore per project for integrated cold chain projects.
* Standalone cold storages are not covered.
* **Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):**
* Provides collateral-free term loans up to Rs. 2.00 crore.
* Offers interest subvention of 3% on term loans for post-harvest infrastructure, including cold storages.
* **General Scheme Information:**
* All schemes are demand/entrepreneur-driven.
* Government assistance is in the form of credit-linked back-ended subsidy/grant-in-aid.
* Assistance is provided based on proposals received from states/entrepreneurs.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Horticulture Farmers in Nalgonda:**
* *Impact:* Potential to reduce post-harvest losses, improve shelf life, and increase market value of produce through improved cold storage infrastructure.
* *Action Required:* Explore available schemes (MIDH, NHB, MoFPI, AIF) and submit proposals through appropriate channels (State Horticulture Mission, banks) to establish or expand cold storage facilities.
* **State Government (Telangana):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for facilitating the implementation of central government schemes and supporting farmers in accessing financial assistance.
* *Action Required:* Promote awareness of available schemes among farmers, provide guidance on proposal preparation, and ensure efficient processing of applications through the State Horticulture Mission.
* **Entrepreneurs/Private Sector:**
* *Impact:* Opportunity to invest in cold storage infrastructure development and contribute to strengthening the local horticulture economy.
* *Action Required:* Identify viable projects, prepare detailed proposals, and leverage available subsidies/grants under various schemes to establish commercially sustainable cold storage facilities.
Key Entities Referenced
National Horticulture Board NHB: An organization implementing a scheme for Capital Investment Subsidy for Construction/Expansion/Modernization of Cold Storages and Storages for Horticulture Products.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries MoFPI: A ministry implementing a Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain, Food Processing and Preservation Infrastructure under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana PMKSY.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana PMKSY: A scheme under which the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) implements the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain, Food Processing and Preservation Infrastructure.
Agriculture Infrastructure Funds AIF: A fund of Rs. 1.00 lakh crore launched by the Government to strengthen agriculture infrastructure in the country, including provision for cold storages.
Nalgonda district, Telangana: A district in Telangana, India, where there is a need for cold storage facilities for horticulture produce.
Rangareddy District, Telangana: A district in Telangana adjacent to Nalgonda district, having cold storage facilities available for horticulture produce.
Khammam Districts, Telangana: A district in Telangana adjacent to Nalgonda district, having cold storage facilities available for horticulture produce.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture MIDH: A scheme implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare for holistic development of horticulture in the country.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1475
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29TH JULY, 2025
COLD STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT HORTICULTURE FARMERS
1475. SHRI KUNDURU RAGHUVEER:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण म(cid:287)ं ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the urgent need for cold storage facilities in
Nalgonda district, Telangana, where over 42,000 acres of sweet orange and 11,000 acres
of chilli are cultivated annually, producing more than 2.4 lakh metric tonnes of perishable
output;
(b) whether the absence of cold storage infrastructure is leading to significant post-
harvest losses, poor shelf-life and reduced market value for farmers and if so, the
Government's response thereto;
(c) whether the Government proposes to sanction cold storage units under MIDH or
other schemes to support horticulture farmers in Nalgonda; and
(d) whether any steps will be taken to prioritize high-volume districts like Nalgonda for
integrated post-harvest infrastructure including storage, processing and transport to
strengthen the local horticulture economy?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य मं(cid:287)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) & (b): As per information furnished by Government of Telangana, a total of 08 cold
storages with capacity of 40900 MTs are available for storage of horticulture produce in
Nalgonda. Further, another 44 cold storages with capacity of 168014 MTs and 42 cold
storages with capacity of 170376 MTs are also available in Rangareddy & Khammam
Districts respectively which are adjacent to erstwhile Nalgonda District and providing
services to the Horticulture farmers of Nalgonda.
(c) & (d): Government is implementing various schemes under which financial
assistance is available for setting up of post-harvest management infrastructure for
perishable horticultural produce throughout the country.
Department of Agriculture, & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated
Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for holistic development of Horticulture in the country
to reduce the wastage, strengthen the local horticulture economy and increasing PHM
infrastructure in the country including Telangana. Under MIDH, assistance is available fordevelopment of Post Harvest Management (PHM) for perishable horticulture crops
including potato which includes establishment of pack house, Integrated pack house, pre-
cooling, staging cold room, cold storages, controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, reefer
transport, primary/mobile and secondary processing units, setting up of ripening chambers
and Integrated cold chain supply system etc.
Under the scheme, assistance is available for 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 and can be available through respective State
Horticulture Mission.
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 20000 MT is available.
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 post-harvest 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, Integrated Tribal Development Programme
(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 in the form of credit linked back ended
subsidy/grant-in-aid and 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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