Centre sanctions 101 new Integrated Cold Chain Projects

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Ministry of Food Processing Industries  (MoFPI) on March 27, 2017, announced sanction of 101 new Integrated Cold Chain Projects spread across the country. These projects are for fruits and vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, marine, poultry, ready to eat/ready to cook sectors. The 101 new Cold chain Projects will create additional capacity of 2.76 lakh MT of Cold Storage/Controlled Atmosphere/Frozen Storage, 115 MT per hour of Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) capacity, 56 lakh litres per day of Milk Processing, 210 MT per batch of Blast Freezing and 629 Refrigerated/Insulated vehicles.

These Integrated Cold Chain projects will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure in the  states concerned but also help in providing better prices to farmers and is a step towards doubling of farmers’ income. The infrastructure will also reduce wastage of perishables, add value to the agricultural produce and create huge employment opportunities especially in rural areas, according to a PIB release.

These 101 new integrated cold chain projects will leverage total investment of Rs 3,100 crore for creation of modern infrastructure for the food processing sector. The total expected grant-in-aid to be released to these projects is Rs. 838 crore, according to a PIB release. The scheme of Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure provides financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore to entrepreneurs.India is one of the largest food producers in the world and is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables yet only 2.2% of our fruits and vegetables are processed. India requires affordable cold storages and cold chains at every food producing hub in the country.

The existing cold storages are concentrated in few states and roughly 80 to 90% are used for potatoes. MoFPI is building National Cold Chain Grid in the country so that all food producing hubs are connected to cold storage and processing industries. The Ministry had announced sanction of 30 Cold Chain Projects in May, 2015.