Retail players set to get Rs 10-crore grant from Govt

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Government is conducting a feasibility study for mega food parks.

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Keywords: Agriculture, Cold Chain

New Delhi: There are 1,300 cold storage facilities in India, but they remain unused for most of the year, and this happens even as 40 per cent of the country’s fruits and vegetables get wasted due to lack of a cold chain. But with big retail players like Reliance and Bharti entering into the agri space and demanding better infrastructure, things might be set for a change.

“People who are coming here to set up cold chains and backends must be given the status of an infrastructure industry. Tax benefits must also be provided to them,” Joint MD of Bharti Enterprises Rajan Mittal said.

And the Government seems to be paying heed to this demand. In its 11th year plan it is launching a revamped comprehensive cold chain infrastructure scheme to set them up at different levels.

“Rs 10 crore I am offering for integrated cold chains. We are also providing subsidies and grants for the same,” Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Subodh Kant Sahay said.

The Government has also conducted a feasibility study for mega food parks in the country, which will function as sourcing hubs for the retail outlets.

It is also looking at opening 30 such food parks spread across India, which will have cold warehousing, grading centres and research laboratories, all with the aim to promote the untapped food processing sector.