| India has tremendous potential to become the | | | | amount of such agricultural produce that is |
| primary source of agricultural products, more | | | | waste away. If there were cold storage |
| specifically food products in the world. It | | | | systems, efficient cold chain, logistics and |
| has about 53% of arable land - land available | | | | distribution companies, it could have been |
| for cultivation of crops as compared to a | | | | possible to process these primary products |
| measly average of about 11% for the rest of | | | | into newer, secondary products and resold to |
| the world. It has some feathers in it's cap | | | | consumers locally and internationally. A |
| as the second highest fruit and vegetable | | | | strategy needs to be carved out for the |
| producer in the world, 6th largest producer | | | | growth of this industry and a lot of |
| of fish and such like but still doesn't make | | | | investment action is yet to see some real |
| up to the top 10 food exporting countries.If | | | | action. |
| it weren't for some severe infrastructure and | | | | |
| technology issues, there is actually stopping | | | | Investment in cold storage, cold chain |
| for this gigantic food bowl. With large | | | | distribution, installation of food processing |
| tracts of arable land, inexpensive labour and | | | | plants across the country, applied research |
| high-quality produce tumbling out of the | | | | on harvesting technologies an a rapid |
| barns, there is a potential so huge that | | | | development of the food retail industry are |
| sometimes, the scope and scale is almost | | | | all necessary steps that would ensure an |
| unbelievable. | | | | organic growth in this sector. |
| | | | |
| However, if one had to point out at one | | | | What is Cold Chain? |
| single single reason as to why the Indian | | | | |
| agricultural industry is such a laggard when | | | | A cold chain is basically a logistics system, |
| pitted against the global standards, it could | | | | which helps in maintaining and providing a |
| be the pathetic state of the logistics, | | | | series of facilities for ensuring ideal |
| distribution and and an inefficient supply | | | | storage conditions for the persihables from |
| chain. India faces an acute problem of large | | | | the point of origin to the point of sale. A |
| amounts of food wasted away due to the lack | | | | well developed and efficiently organized cold |
| of a proper cold storage, cold chain and | | | | chain reduces wastage, spoilage and helps |
| frozen food distribution system. If only this | | | | keeps the perishables intact thereby helping |
| was in place, huge amounts of food could have | | | | to maintain the quality of the harvested food |
| been processed into some kind of value added | | | | products ultimately making the whole system |
| foods and sold both locally and | | | | cost effective to the farmers and that which |
| abroad.Annually, there is usually a large | | | | ensures top-notch quality to the end user. |