The Cold Link: Sahai calls for dedicated corridors

In an effort to provide much needed cold storage linkages for perishable agriculture produce in the country, the food processing industries ministry has sent formal proposals to railway, civil aviation and port ministries, asking for dedicated cold chain corridors. Speaking to The Indian Express, on the sidelines of a national seminar, food processing industries minister Subodh Kant Sahai said, “We are in talks with all the three transport ministries — railway, civil aviation and ports. We have asked them that they should create a perishable cargo corridor at various collection centres. We have already identified some of the major catchments. These include 30 cold corridor routes, from where collection can be done. For instance, some of them include major railway junctions.”

Emphasing that the ministry is trying to convince railways ministry for a cold rail that must be started on important agri-produce corridors, he said it hopes to reduce the food wastage in the process that currently stands at 40 per cent of total produce.

The ministry is keen on funding the setting up of cold storage infrastructure, informed its officials. “The government will fund building of huge capacity, controlled atmosphere storages at these stations, as the ministry would like to facilitate the setting up of cold chain logistics. The transport infrastructure, though, will have to be provided by the concerned ministries,” said Food Processing Industries Ministry, joint secretary, Goutam Sanyal.

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It has already announced a grant of Rs 10 crore to private sector for setting up of state-of-art cold chain facilities.

To give an impetus to food processing industries, the ministry had mooted Integrated Cold Chains including Value Added Centre component to provide cold chain facility, ensuring linkages in the food chain from the farm to the retailer or the consumer.