Rural Godown Scheme for Creation of Scientific Storage

Rural Godown Scheme for Creation of Scientific Storage Ministry of Agriculture is implementing the Rural Godown Scheme for creation of scientific storage capacity with allied facilities inrural areas to meet out various requirements of farmers for storing farm produce, processed farm produce, agricultural inputs, including onion, etc. As on 31st October, 2011, 25682 godowns having a capacity of 294.83 lakhs tones have been sanctioned by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) all over the country. The scheme is being implemented in the XIth Plan Period with a target of 90 lakh tones. The scheme is demand driven and back-ended subsidy is made available for construction of godowns to all categories of farmers, agricultural graduates, cooperatives, individual companies and corporations and women farmers.

As reported by National Horticulture Research & Development Foundation (NHRDF) that the estimated storage of onion during 2011 is 28.40 lakh MTs. The requirement for storage of onions in the country is about 30-32 lakh MTs.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) has set up onion storage godown at Lasalgaon with a capacity of 1600 metric tones (MTs), Pimpalgaon with a capacity of 1,000 MTs and at Delhi with a capacity of 4,000 MTs. Further, NCDC has dovetailed its cold storage/storage programme for horticulture produce with capital investment subsidy scheme of the government being implemented by National Horticulture Board since 2000-01.

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