SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir government has said that a total subsidy of Rs 16.26 crore is being granted for the establishment of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Stores across the Union Territory to boost the horticulture sector and reduce post-harvest losses. The initiative, implemented under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), aims to enhance storage capacity and cold-chain infrastructure for apple and other perishable crops.
According to official data, the scheme provides assistance up to Rs 13.45 crore per project for a capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes, with fifty per cent subsidy capped at Rs 9 crore. In addition, a top-up grant of Rs 7.26 crore from the CAPEX budget has been made available, taking the overall support to Rs 16.26 crore. The subsidy is released on a pro-rata basis for projects within the 5,000 metric tonne capacity limit.
The Agriculture Production Department said the subsidy is open to all entrepreneurs willing to establish CA stores in line with the prescribed guidelines, though most projects so far have been set up by big entrepreneurs due to the high establishment costs. Small and marginal farmers have found it difficult to afford such infrastructure despite the available support.
To address this gap, the government is also promoting smaller cold-chain facilities at the farm gate under various components of the MIDH scheme. These include a fifty per cent subsidy for farm gate pack houses costing up to Rs 25 lakh per unit, integrated pack houses with cold room transit facilities up to Rs 160 lakh per beneficiary, collection and aggregation centres up to Rs 320 lakh, pre-cooling units up to Rs 5 lakh per metric tonne, mobile pre-cooling units up to Rs 30 lakh, and staging cold rooms up to Rs 52 lakh.
Officials said the department continues to encourage small and medium entrepreneurs to come forward to set up affordable CA storage units near production clusters. The government believes such decentralised cold storage facilities can help farmers store their produce locally, reduce distress sales, and improve profitability, particularly in apple-growing areas of north and south Kashmir.
