The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is the Ministry behind the introduction of the Operation Greens scheme. In 2018-19, Finance Minister announced the inauguration of the Operation Greens scheme which was based on the lines of ‘Operation Flood’.
A sum of Rs. 500 crores was given by the Ministry for Operation Greens to boost agri-logistics, facilities related to processing, professional management and the Farmer Producers Organizations. It will take care that the Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) should be made available every season without instability in the price of these crops and should be supplied throughout the country. Later on, in 2020 all the fruits and vegetables were included in the scheme for 6 months on a pilot basis.
Objectives of the Operation Greens Scheme
The following are the objectives of the Operation Greens Scheme. These are:
- To make the farmers earn twice by the end of the year 2022.
- To link the production of the TOP crop to the markets and increase their value realizations by target interventions.
- To stabilize the price of the TOP crops for both consumers and producers and introduce dual-use varieties.
- To lessen the post-harvest losses by introducing suitable storage capacity that will link consumption centres, the establishment of farm gate infrastructure and advancement of agro-logistics.
- To enhance the food processing capacities of TOP.
- To set up a market intelligence network.
The Strategy of the Operation Greens Scheme
The Ministry decided on the following strategy to be initiated for the Operation Greens scheme. The strategy is followed in two ways- One is for the short-term period and the other one is for the long-term period.
- Short-term– Price Stabilization Measures in which 50% subsidy is provided for the transportation and storage of the TOP crops.
- Long-term– Integrated value chain development projects which focus on the agri-logistics, establishment of e-platform for the demand and supply of TOP crops and so on.
Allocation of the Funds for the Scheme
In the table given below, the allocation of the funds for the scheme can be seen clearly. In the table, the acronyms used are mentioned as follows-
BE – Budget Estimates, RE – Revised Estimates, and AE – Actual Expenditure.
| Year | BE | RE | AE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 0.00 | 200.00 | 5.50 |
| 2019-20 | 200.00 | 32.48 | 2.84 |
| 2020-21 | 127.50 | 38.22 | 38.21 |
| 2021-22 | 73.40 | – | 15.84 [till 05.08.2021] |
Significance of the Operation Greens Scheme
The scheme aimed at providing farmers with a sustainable income by reducing or ending the price instability. Initially, only 3 basic crops i.e. TOP were included in the scheme but later on, other fruits and vegetables are also included. Additionally, the scheme also tried to provide consumers with TOP crops at affordable prices. Therefore, the scheme is beneficial for both producers as well as consumers.
Challenges in the Operation Greens Scheme
Operation Greens Scheme is facing certain challenges. These are:
- Technology for long-term storage, processing and transportation options is still being developed.
- With the increase in fuel prices, the energy usage of the available technologies creates a problem.
- There is no institutional set-up available for the implementation of the scheme as there was in Operation Flood.
