VATIS UPDATE Article

The Indian ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare has agreed to evolve a new National Policy on Cold Chain to provide direction for the long-term approach for holistic infrastructure creation in both agri and horticulture products. “The proposed policy would be evolved in due course of time in necessary consultations, with all concerned stakeholders including the chamber of commerce such as PHD Chamber,” said Dr Shakil Ahammed of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

In addition, Dr. Ahammed also declared that the Centre has decided to expand the capacities of storage facilities for onions in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and even Karnataka to ensure minimum wastages on onion in view of its recent production in which farmers had to virtually throw away their onion produce in the absence of storage facilities in certain pockets of Maharashtra and even Karnataka.

Dr. Ahammed indicated that the focus of the government of the day would be productivity and quality of the produce of both agri and horti products and that the policy for storing the agri and hori items would be designed keeping in view the two aspects of agri and horti produce so that the farmers do not loose on their produce and the consumer gets the best of the price in the entire supply value chain of the marketing of agri and horti produce.