Operation Greens Scheme

Operation Greens Scheme

Operation Greens Scheme is an Rs. 500 crore scheme announced along the lines of “Operation Flood” to promote Farmer Producer Organizations, agri-logistics, processing facilities, and professional management. Operation Greens aims to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP) crops and ensure their availability throughout the country without price volatility throughout the year.

Objectives

• They were enhancing TOP farmers’ value realization through targeted interventions to strengthen TOP production clusters and their FPOs, as well as linking/connecting them to the market.
• Price stability for producers and consumers through proper production planning in TOP groups and the introduction of dual-use varieties.
• Reducing post-harvest losses through the establishment of farm gate infrastructure, the development of appropriate agro-logistics, and the establishment of proper storage capacity connecting consumption centres.
• Increased food processing capacity
•  Value addition in the TOP value chain, with firm ties to production clusters.
• Establish a market intelligence network to collect and collate real-time data on top crop demand, supply, and price.

What exactly is Operation Green?

• It is a price-fixing scheme designed to ensure farmers receive the correct price for their produce.
• Its goal is to promote Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), Agri-logistics, processing facilities, and professional agri-produce management.
• Its primary goal is to connect farmers and consumers through organised marketing of Tomatoes, Onions, and Potatoes (TOP vegetables).
• It is open to State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self-help groups, food processors, and others.

Why Operation Greens?

• The scheme, modelled after Operation Flood, aims to replicate the success of milk in fruits and vegetables.
• The goal of Operation Greens is to double farmers’ income by the end of 2022.
• The issue with vegetable commodities is that when production increases dramatically, prices collapse due to a lack of modern storage capacity.
• In India, the links between processing and organised retailing are very weak and small, resulting in farmers receiving less than a quarter of what consumers pay for their produce in major cities.
• Operation Greens will concentrate on these issues for basic ingredients rather than on additional commodities in agriculture.

 Difficulties in Implementation

• There are numerous varieties of TOP vegetables, grown in various climatic conditions and seasons, making marketing intervention (processing and storage) all the more complex, in contrast to milk, which is a relatively homogeneous product produced all year.
• Long-term storage, transportation, and processing technologies are still being developed.
• The energy intensity of available technologies poses an additional challenge, especially with rising fuel prices.
• The scheme makes no provision for institutional setups, such as the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Operation Flood.
• At the moment, the organised market is very small in comparison to total production. The market must be developed through a viable business model, which takes time and money.

Strategies of Operation Greens Scheme

The scheme will implement a two-pronged strategy of price stabilisation measures (in the short term) and integrated value chain development projects (in the long term) (for the long term).

Price Stabilization Measures for the Short Term:

MoFPI will contribute 50% of the subsidy for the following two components:

• Tomato, onion, and potato (TOP) crop transportation from production to storage;
• Obtaining suitable storage facilities for TOP Crops

In the Long Run Projects for the development of integrated value chains:

• FPO and consortium capacity building
• Production of high quality
• Facilities for post-harvest processing
• Marketing Agri-Logistics / Consumption Points
• Creation and management of an e-platform for TOP Crop demand and supply management.

FAQ’s on Operation Greens Scheme