Cold chain management stressed

CHANDIGARH, Dec 4: The need to establish an appropriate cold chain management in the country, in order to get the best out of its vast potential of growing fruits and vegetables, was stressed at the International Workshop on Cold Chain Technologies at Agro Tech8217;98 here today.

quot;In order to maintain freshness of the product, the wholesale centres must have facilities for the cold storage control of atmospheric conditions,quot; said D. Rajagopalan, Chairman, Agricultural Processed Food Products, Export Development Authority APEDA. Emphasising the need for establishment of cold chain from farm to the consumer level, Rajagopalan said that it would also help in increasing country8217;s exports. The session chairman, R S Reikhi, said that the fruit and vegetable sector was marked by very high degree of wastage and destruction.

Participating in the workshop, the foreign delegates Roy Johnson, Chairman IARW, Jeffrey C Spence president ICS Logistics Florida and J. William Hudson, president IARW, touched upon the positive points of cold storage.