No benefit in reviving 97 defunct cold storages, Odisha agriculture minister says

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha agriculture minister Ranendra Pratap Swain on Wednesday told the assembly that there was no benefit in reviving 97 defunct cold storages in the state.
He said the cost of reviving cold storage is equal to establishing a new one.
There were 18 defunct cold storages in Khurda district followed by 13 in Cuttack, 11 in Puri, eight in Mayurbhanj, six each in Balasore, Sundargarh and Jagatsinghpur, four each in Bargarh and Koraput, three in Balangir, two each in Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, and Keonjhar, one each in Angul, Bhadrak, Boudh, Gajapati, Rayagada and Sambalpur.
Presently, 36 cold storages are functioning in Odisha. Of these, the highest six cold storages are in Sambalpur district followed by five cold storages in Khurda district, three each in Cuttack and Koraput districts, two each in Balasore, Balangir, Mayurbhanj and Puri districts and one each in Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Sundargarh districts.
The minister said the state government is providing a 70 per cent subsidy to small and marginal farmers for setting up Subjee Cooler with a 100kg capacity for storage of flowers, fruits and vegetables. This scheme has been started from the current year.
Besides, Swain said, the government provides incentives through the directorate of horticulture to entrepreneurs for the establishment of cold storages. It gives a subsidy of 55 per cent or a maximum of Rs 2.2 crore for non-scheduled areas (normal) and 70 per cent or a maximum of Rs 2.8 crore for scheduled areas (tribal).
There are provisions of giving subsidies to agri entrepreneurs between 55 per cent and 70 per cent for establishing cold rooms for small duration preservation of fruits and vegetables. This subsidy is 50 per cent for small farmers, said the statement of the minister.
He said the state government had taken necessary steps for setting up solar cold rooms at panchayat level in the state.
To intensify this activity, the state has started taking initiatives this year for setting up 1,000 small cold rooms in the state by providing subsidies. Entrepreneurs can apply for this benefit by applying before the horticulture officers or deputy directors of horticulture, he added.