Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Agriculture

04-December-2012 16:27 IST

Government proposes to enhance existing cold storage capacity in the country by providing assistance for setting up of cold storages through various schemes listed above and by providing other concessions in service tax, excise & custom duty. The component of cold storages under these schemes is project based.

All India Coordinated Research Project on Post-harvest Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) conducted a study at National level and printed the report in September, 2012. As per the study, estimated harvest and post-harvest losses of crops and livestock produce was Rs.44143 crore at price and production value of 2007-08.

At present there are about 6488 cold storages having 303.80 lakh metric tones capacity in the country including Bihar. State wise details are annexed.

The Government is implementing following schemes under which grant-in-aid is provided to entrepreneurs for setting up of cold storages in the country including Bihar:

1. National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

2. Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH)

3. National Horticulture Board (NHB)

4. Scheme of Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)

5. Scheme of Agricultural Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

6. Scheme of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

This information was given by Shri Tariq Anwar, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

MP: DS: CP: capacity (4.12.2012)

Assistance for cold storages expanded through multiple central schemes, offering grants and fiscal concessions to set up capacity. The Government proposes to enhance national cold storage capacity by providing assistance and fiscal concessions to entrepreneurs for setting up cold storages, delivered on a project-based basis through grant-in-aid under specified central schemes and by offering service tax, excise and customs duty concessions to promote storage infrastructure.