Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has chalked out plant to construct 58 cold storage units in sub-divisions with an investment of Rs 252 crore, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
The move aims at substantially enhancing the capacity to store perishable goods and reduce post-harvest losses in the state.
Sharing this information while answering a question in House, Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that Odisha currently has 133 cold storage units, of which only 35 are fully functional. Out of these, 33 are privately operated and 2 are run by the government.
While 26 new cold storages have been built during the last decade, 22 of these are functional and four remain non-operational, the Minister said, adding that 98 of the total 133 cold storage units are non-functional. Out of these, 20 are run by the government and 78 private facilities.
In order to address these challenges, the state government plans to strengthen cold storage infrastructure, providing technical and financial support to operators.
When completed, the new cold storages are expected to benefit farmers, traders, and the agricultural supply chain by preserving quality, extending shelf life, and preventing wastage of fruits, vegetables, and other perishable commodities.
