Nabard launches tomato value chain management project

In order to assist the tomato growers in Haryana, Nabard has launched pilot project for value chain management for tomato. The crop- specific pilot project with production and post-production interventions is to be implemented through primary agriculture co-operative society business models for the crop in Haryana's Karnal district and likely to be implemented in three to four years.

The project would be funded through loan and grant support from Nabard and a subsidy support from the central or the state government. Karnal is famous for tomato cultivation with a majority of the farmers engaged in this activity. The tomato grown here are marketed in Chandigarh, Punjab and Delhi. According to agro experts, there is a need to assist the farmers in order to increase the production of the crop and also assist them in marketing, in addition to value chain management, including setting up of cold storages to prevent post-harvest losses.

A Nabard official said, "Initially, study would be carried out for effective implementation of the project. For this purpose, Nabard has entrusted Nabcon (Nabard consultancy) to undertake study related to marketing, production and value chain management of tomato.

The study is being conducted to assist the tomato farmers of the state so that they can get remunerative price for their crop.

The official added that in the first phase, market study would be evaluated, in which the various options would be explored for effective marketing of tomato.

The pilot projects envisage crop-specific market surveys, identification of specific market players and marketing support through establishment of project market facilitation centres (PMFCs). The projects will provide for productivity enhancing measures and post-harvest interventions. These measures include support for irrigation, particularly micro-irrigation, scientific storage facility, cold storages and setting up of agro-service centres.