Cold Storage Industry Overview

The cold storage industry needs upliftment in terms of technology & warehousing practices as there have been 30% - 40% losses during the storage period in the horticulture sector, as per the data released by Ministry of Agriculture. The major difference between the dry good & the perishable is that the natural shelf life is few days or maximum to few months while in dry good it is few months or sometimes an year. 

The major loss that occurs in perishable commodities is caused due to bacteria or fungi. These micro-organisms usually consume small amount of food but damage the commodity to the point that it becomes unacceptable because of rotting or other defects. The loss also occurs during ripening, senescence, including wilting & termination of dormancy (e.g., sprouting) that increases the susceptibility of the commodity to mechanical damage or infection by pathogens. 

Another reason for loss in the commodity is consumption of food by rodents, birds, monkeys, etc. which contaminates or causes direct disappearance of the commodity. Sometimes, the level of contamination of commodity by the excreta, hair and feathers of animals and birds is so high that the food is condemned for human consumption. 

If the temperature is not maintained during the storage or excessive or insufficient heat or cold is exposed to the commodity, it can also spoil the commodity. It is integral to create conducive atmosphere during the storage time to prevent losses in perishables. 

All the above reasons need to be controlled specifically by keeping a minute-to-minute check on the commodity kept at the cold storage Delhi NCR. Regular audits & inspections need to be conducted regularly to keep a constant watch on the health of the commodity. There are several companies that have forayed into the market but none of them have been able to cut down the post harvest losses. But, there is one company which recently entered cold chain sector & has proven efficiencies to cut these losses through scientific warehousing. 

Till today, SLCM has managed 15 Cold Storages with a capacity of 151850 MT at diversified locations. There are no potato cold storages in Delhi, NCR but the density is more spread in the Agra region. SLCM cold storages are spread across Agra, Aligarh, Firozabad, Deesa, Mathutra & Bodinayakpur for horticulture produce like potato & cardamom. It has been noted that the losses in this sector are about 30%-40% & SLCM has proven its expertise to reduce these post harvest losses to 0.4% in this segment.