Thousands of farmers to get employment with govt’s new cold chain projects in these states

Saving the perishable produce shall not only help in augmenting farmer’s incomes but it shall also act as a small step towards making India self-reliant in the fruits and vegetables sector. (Bloomberg image)

The agriculture sector may see a flood of employment opportunities as the new integrated cold chain projects are likely to generate thousands of direct and indirect employment, benefitting around 2.58 lakh farmers. 27 projects were approved under the scheme for integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure of PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), and is estimated to provide direct and indirect employment for 16,200 farmers, said Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries. Saving the perishable produce, by provisioning adequate infrastructure, shall not only help in augmenting farmer’s incomes but it shall also act as a small step towards making India self-reliant in the fruits and vegetables sector, the minister added.

Citing the cold chain infrastructure vital for the economy, Harsimrat Kaur further said that the move will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure but would also help in streamlining the agricultural supply chain; provide better prices to farmers and end-users; and benefit allied sectors. The projects have been approved across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

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The ministry of food processing industries informed that the 27 new integrated cold chain projects will leverage a total investment of 743 crores for the creation of modern, innovative infrastructure, and cold chain facilities for the food processing sector across the nation. The facilities are aimed at increasing efficiency and sustainability in India’s food supply chain.  

The food processing industry has been struggling with a gap in the supply chain, which is expected to be overcome with the government’s latest move. India’s food processing industry (FPI) is relatively at a nascent stage and currently processes less than 10 per cent of the agri produce. Meanwhile, cold storage facilities help to maintain the safety, quality of perishable produce such as fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish marine, poultry, and ready to eat food products for a long time.