The Container Corporation of India (CONCOR),
a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, has
planned to set up a countrywide network of Cold Chain Complexes
to meet the requirements of quality fruits and vegetables both
in the international and domestic market. CONCOR proposes to
set up 14 such complexes in different parts of the country.
In the first phase, three such complexes have been planned near
Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai.
In this connection, the Minister of State for
Railways, Shri Basanagouda R. Patil, has addressed a letter
to the Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri S.M. Krishna requesting
him to allot seven hectares of land to CONCOR near Bangalore
preferably in the Agro-Tech Park at Malur.
The Government of Haryana has already allotted
seven hectares land to CONCOR at the Industrial Estate at Rai
near Delhi.
India is the second largest producer of fruits
and vegetables in the world. Country’s fruit output at 46 million
tonnes is 16 per cent of the global output, while vegetable
production at 91 million tonnes contributes 14 per cent to global
production. India is also the single largest producer of mangoes,
bananas, cauliflowers and peas. Despite such high volumes of
production, country’s share is less than 0.6 per cent of the
global trade.
The proposed Cold Chain Complexes are intended
to check high level of wastages of vegetables and fruits, which
are more than 25 per cent, preserve quality of fruits and vegetables,
provide high remuneration to farmers and improve India’s significant
presence in the world market.
