Chilling Progress | J&K receives Rs 1463 crore central aid for Cold Storage boost in last 5 years

Srinagar, Dec 19: The Government of India has extended financial assistance amounting to Rs 1463 crore to 28 cold storages in Jammu and Kashmir in the last five years, according to details shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) today.

The financial aid aims to support the establishment of cold storage for perishable horticultural produce in the region.

The information, disclosed by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare,  Arjun Munda, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, highlights the State/UT-wise breakdown of the financial assistance provided for setting up cold storage facilities.

A study conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Consultancy Services (NABCONS) in 2015, titled “All India Cold-chain Infrastructure Capacity (AICIC-2015),” indicated that the required capacity of cold storage at that time was 351.00 lakh MT, while the existing capacity in 2014 was 318.23 lakh MT. There are 8653 cold storage across the country with a combined capacity of 394.17 lakh MT, as per the available information.

"The government is implementing various schemes to provide financial assistance for the establishment of cold storage infrastructure for perishable horticultural produce nationwide. In addition to cold storage, assistance is also extended for the setup of Pre-cooling Units, Cold Rooms, Pack Houses, Integrated Pack Houses, Preservation units, Reefer Transport, Ripening Chambers, etc., under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). These components are demand/entrepreneur-driven, and government assistance, in the form of credit-linked back-ended subsidy, is available at the rate of 35% of the project cost in general areas and 50% in hilly and scheduled areas through respective State Horticulture Missions (SHMs)."

The financial aid aims to enhance storage and preservation capabilities, preventing damage to agricultural and horticultural produce. The focus on creating a robust cold chain infrastructure aligns with the government's broader initiatives to strengthen the agricultural sector and ensure food security, it said.