Cold Storage facility is an installation intended for the cooling, freezing, and cold storage of perishable food products and other perishables. A large cold-storage facility, which operates as an independent enterprise, comprises a cold-storage warehouse with truck and railroad platforms, compressor and condenser rooms for a refrigerating system, a cooling tower, reservoirs and a pumping station for a circulating water supply, administration and residential buildings, and other buildings and installations.

Roughly 30% of food that is consumed in developing countries is perishable. Cold storage facilities are crucial to minimize post-harvest losses; however, losses occur at every step in the post-harvest cycle, and therefore cold storages cannot be considered as independent solutions to prevent post-harvest spoilage but as one component that needs to be integrated in a cold chain network from the point of harvest to the point of purchase by the end consumer.

Factors to consider for setting up of cold storage facility

    • Location: the location chosen should be easily accessible and close to market hubs and/or produce collection points

    • Electricity: the access to and the supply of electricity to the cold storage facility should be given. Electricity supply has an impact on the size and equipment feasible of the cold storage

    • Drainage and waste disposal: good drainage options and waste management equipment needs to be readily available

    • Water: supply of water is important for matter of sanitation. Also the removal of wastewater generated has to be given

    • Economic viability: the value generated though cold storage needs to justify investment and running costs

In general, choosing an appropriate cold storage technology depends on the temperatures and level of reliability required, resources available – including skilled labor, capital, electricity and water supply.

Current Status

    • As per available information, there are 8186 number of cold storages with capacity of 374.25 Lakh MT is available in the country for storing perishable horticulture produce like fruits and vegetables.

    • However, the information regarding capacity utilization, real time data regarding availability, cost etc on cold storage facilities for farmers and traders etc. is not centrally maintained by the Ministry. There is no real-time monitoring System.

    • A study on All India Cold-chain Infrastructure Capacity (AICIC-2015) carried out by NABARD Consultancy Service (NABCONS) assessed requirement of 350 lakh MT capacity of cold storage for perishable fruits and vegetables. Currently, there is 374.25 Lakh MT capacity of cold storages is available in the country.

Schemes providing assistance to set up Cold storage facility

    1. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):

        a. Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which financial assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including setting up of cold storages. 

        b. The component is demand/entrepreneur driven for which Government assistance in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy is available at the rate of 35% (for general areas) and 50% (for hilly and scheduled areas) of eligible capital cost of the project for both public and private sector enterprises.

    2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY):

        a. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure as one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with the objective of reducing post-harvest losses of horticulture & non-horticulture produce and providing remunerative price to farmers for their produce. 

        b. Under the scheme, Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate 35% for general areas and 50% for North East States, Himalayan States, ITDP areas and Islands for storage and transport infrastructure and at the rate of 50% and 75% respectively for value addition and processing infrastructure subject to a maximum of Rs.10 crore per project for setting up Integrated Cold Chain projects including Irradiation facility. 

        c. Standalone cold storages are not covered under the Scheme.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)