Operation Green Scheme
- In the budget of this year, Government of India has decided to include 22 more products under the Operation Green Scheme (TOPs).
- In order to increase the value of agriculture and allied products and to promote their exports, the Finance Minister of India has announced the expansion of Operation Green Schemes in Budget 2021 to include 22 new products in it. At present only Tomatoes, Onions, Potatoes (TOPs) are included under the Operation Green Scheme.
- Last year, the Ministry of Food Processing, decided to expand Operation Green from tomatoes, onions and potatoes to all fruits and vegetables for six months, under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- In July 2020, the government also announced a benefit of 50 per cent subsidy on the transportation and storage of 18 other fruits and vegetables from surplus production areas to major consumption centers, to farmers and processors, under the current ‘Operation Greens’.
- The government’s intervention aims to protect fruit and vegetable growers from unsold sales due to lockdown and reduce post-harvest losses.
What is Operation Green?
- Operation Greens was announced in the budget speech of 2018-19 and a provision of Rs 500 crore was made in the budget for this.
- The objective of this scheme is to maintain the supply of tomatoes, onions and potatoes and to ensure their availability throughout the year without any price rise.
Goals of Operation Green:
- Strengthening Tomato-Onion-Potato production clusters and their farmer producer organizations and linking them to the market.
- Keeping the price stable by making suitable plans of production in TOP clusters.
- Construction of farm gate to reduce damage after crop failure, managing proper transportation and linking of stores with consumption centers.
- To increase the capacity of food processing.
- To create a network with respect to market related information so that instant data can be collected in relation to the demand and supply of TOP crops.
Source – PIB
