Thirty per cent to 40 per cent of Odisha’s total production of different kinds of vegetables, including potato, onion, tomato, peas, sweet potato and yam, are wasted annually due to lack of storage facilities. Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy informed this in the State Assembly in a written reply to a query by Naba Kishore Das (Congress).
The Minister said steps are now being taken to contain this problem through establishment of cold storages across the State. Agriculture entrepreneurs are being provided 55 per cent of subsidy in general area and 70 per cent subsidy in tribal areas to set up cold stores through the National Horticulture Mission and the State Agriculture Policy. Similarly, agriculture entrepreneurs are being provided onion preservation room, pre-chilling and chilling rooms for fruits and vegetables at 50 per cent, 55 per cent and 70 per cent subsidies, respectively.
A taskforce has been formed to make Odisha self-sufficient in potato production in three years. The Government has targeted to set up 112 cold stores in coming three years through agriculture entrepreneurs, the Minister informed.