Kerala State Horticulture Mission urges farmers, primary cooperatives to make use of schemes for post-harvest management and marketing of horticulture crops

The State Horticulture Mission (SHM) Kerala has urged farmers, primary cooperatives and agencies involved in the farm sector of the State to make good use of projects funded through the Mission for infrastructure development in the sector.

The SHM has earmarked around ₹30 crore for developing the infrastructure needed for improving post-harvest management and marketing of horticulture crops in 2025-26.

The projects cover a variety of crops, including vegetables, fruits, flowers, spices and plantation crops, SHM director Saji John said on Wednesday (September 10, 2025). Assistance will be provided for installing solar crop dryers, integrated pack houses, cold rooms, pre-cooling units and primary processing units, as well as developing rural markets and purchasing reefer vans, he said.

Primary cooperatives and cooperative institutions engaged in post-harvest management and marketing can make good use of these projects, the SHM director said. Individual farmers, public sector institutions, Kerala Agricultural University, institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras, non-governmental voluntary organisations, farmer collectives and self-help groups, entrepreneurs and farmer producer organisations (FPO) also can participate in the projects.

For integrated packhouses

For farm-gate packhouses, an assistance of up to 50% will be provided under the scheme. A 35% subsidy will be provided for integrated packhouses that cost up to ₹1.60 crore. A subsidy of 35% is also on offer for pre-cooling units costing up to ₹5 lakh, mobile pre-cooling units costing up to ₹30 lakh and cold room units costing up to ₹52 lakh, as well as reefer vans and primary processing units. A 40% subsidy is on offer for establishing rural markets costing ₹25 lakh and solar crop dryer units.

Applications can be filed at the District Horticulture Missions functioning in Krishi Bhavans and Principal Agricultural Offices up to September 15.