This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Operation Greens Scheme is scheme aims to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP) crops. ‘Operation Greens’ was announced in the budget speech of 2018-19 on the line of ‘Operation Flood’.

Operation Greens Scheme’s objective is to enhance the importance of TOP farmers. Government announces Operation Green budget of Rs. 500 for the scheme implementation.

This scheme promotes Agri- Logistics, Producers Organizations, Professional Management, and Processing Facilities. Operation Green Yojana ensures the availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without price volatility.

The scheme was extended during June 2020 to cover all fruits & vegetables (TOTAL) for a period of six months on a pilot basis as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Operation-Greens-Scheme

What is Operation Greens Scheme?

  • Operation Greens Scheme is a price fixation scheme
  • This scheme aims to ensure that the farmers get the right price for their vegetables
  • This scheme desires to encourage Farmer Producers Organizations (FPO), Agri-logistics, processing facilities, and professional management of agri-produce
  • It focuses on the managed marketing of Tomatoes, Onions, and Potatoes (TOP vegetables) by connecting farmers with customers
  • State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self-help groups, food processors, etc. can avail the financial assistance under it.
  • To help in the structural and infrastructure part of the scheme, agriculture market committee (APMCs) promoted markets will be connected to the e-NAM platform.
  • The government will also support the expansion of 22,000 agricultural markets.

Operation Greens Mission:

  1. This scheme aims to improve the value realization of the TOP farmers
  2. To sustain TOP production groups and their FPOs and connect them with the market
  3. Reasonable production planning in the TOP clusters to stabilize the price for producers and consumers
  4. Reduction in post-harvest failures by creating the farm gate infrastructure
  5. To develop a suitable agro-logistics
  6. Create a suitable storage capacity linking consumption compromises
  7. Increase in food processing capacities and value addition in the TOP value chain with firm linkages with production clusters.
  8. Setting up a market intelligence network to collect real-time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.

Operation Greens Scheme Strategy:

The strategy will compose a series of steps as decided by the Ministry which contains-

Short term Price Stabilisation Measures:

  • MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy on the following two components-
  • Transportation of Tomato Onion Potato(TOP) Crops from production to storage
  • The hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops

Long Term Integrated value chain development projects:

  • Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium
  • Marketing / Consumption Points
  • Post-harvest processing facilities
  • Agri-Logistics
  • Quality production
  • Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops.

Why Operation Greens?

  • Operation Greens scheme was launched on the lines of Operation Flood 
  • This scheme desires to recount the success of milk, fruits, and vegetables
  • Operation Greens scheme plan is to double the income of the farmers
  • The problem with vegetable things is that when their production increases sharply, their prices crumple
  • This happens because there is not sufficient modern storehouse capacity for the vegetables
  • The links between processing and managed retailing are very vulnerable in India
  • Because of this farmer receives less than 1/4th of what consumers pay for their produce in major cities
  • Operation Greens will concentrate on the problems for basic ingredients

Operation Flood:

  • In 1970 National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) started Operation Flood
  • This scheme is also known as White Revolution
  • The main objective of this program is to expand milk production in the country
  • It directed to India becoming the largest producer of milk in 2016-17

Challenges in Implementation:

  • There are so many varieties of TOP vegetables, grown in different climatic conditions and in different seasons.
  • This makes marketing, processing, and storage more complex, unlike in milk that is a relatively homogenous outcome produced around the year.
  • Probable technology options for long-term storage, transport, and processing are yet to be designed.
  • The energy power of available technologies, specifically with increasing fuel prices, poses additional challenges.
  • The organized market at present is very small in relation to total production.
  • The market has to be designed through a possible business model which is time and cost-consuming.
  • The scheme has no provision for institutional setup in implementing the scheme like the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Operation Flood.

Pattern of Assistance:

The pattern of assistance will comprise of grants-in-aid at the rate of 50% of the eligible project cost in all areas, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 crores per project. However, in the case where PIA is/are FPO(s), the grant-in-aid will be at the rate of 70% of the eligible project cost in all areas, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 crores per project.

Eligible Organisation would include State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self-help groups, food processors, logistic operators, service providers, supply chain operators, retail and wholesale chains, and central and state governments and their entities/organizations will be eligible to participate in the program and to avail financial assistance.

The applicant fulfilling the eligibility criteria under the scheme is required to submit the online application on the Sampada Portal of the ministry attached with complete documents.

How many crops does Operation Green Scheme?

Under the Operation Greens scheme, in a statement Government said that benefit has been expanded to extra 10 fruits which are Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Litchi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit, and 8 vegetables which are French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green) and Okra.

Way Forward:

  • There is a need to link major consumption centers to major production centers with a minimal number of mediators
  • Linking the processing industry with organized retailing. On average, about one-fourth of the product must be processed.
  • Budget notification of expanding the allowance for the food processing industry by 100% is a welcome step in this situation.
  • By developing forward and backward linkages, the government can ease large price fluctuations, raise farmers’ share in the price paid by the consumer, and at the same time, assure lower expenses for the buyers.

Check out the Operation Green PIB.

Here, we cover a small piece of information about the Operation Greens Scheme. For the application process and to know more about the Operation Greens Scheme and other schemes you can visit the Operation Greens Scheme official website. Stay tuned to get notified about the other Government schemes.