CAN P3 APPROACH Bolster VEGETABLE SUPPLY CHAIN?

The Centre is planning to set up vegetable production clusters near major cities to increase production and supply chains.

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The clusters will be developed in partnership with the private sector, Farmer Producer Societies (FPS), and cooperative bodies. The goal is to have consumers buy vegetables from retail shops and vending trucks in their locality. The clusters will be set up in a radius of 50 km from cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The scheme will provide support for: Implementing agencies, decentralised cold storage facilities, Procurement of vending trucks and vans, Fruit and vegetable processing, and setting up kiosks and retail outlets in residential areas. The government will also promote Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives, and startups for vegetable supply chains. The government can facilitate the establishment of these clusters by providing infrastructure support, budgetary allocations, and subsidies to farmers for adopting modern technologies and sustainable practices. These subsidies can help farmers invest in advanced equipment, irrigation systems, and post-harvest solutions that are otherwise cost-prohibitive. These initiatives will go a long way in setting up vegetable production clusters across the country.

The production of vegetables in India is envisaged to be around 205.80 million tonne, according to the Third Advance Estimates of 2023-24 released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in September 2024. Increase is expected in production of tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, tapioca, bottle gourd, pumpkin, carrot, cucumber, bitter gourd, parwal and okra, whereas, decrease in production is envisaged in potato, onion, brinjal, elephant foot yam, capsicum, and other vegetables.

Uttar Pradesh is the top vegetable-producing state in India, accounting for 14.8 per cent of the country's total vegetable production in 2022.