Koraput: In a huge relief for farmers of this district, 24 cold storages have become operational, officials said Wednesday. It means that the farmers will not have to resort to distressed sales of their products anymore. All the storage facilities are solar-powered. Farmers can store large quantities of fruits and vegetables in these facilities, the officials added.
Earlier farmers were forced into distress sale of their produce due to the lack of storage facilities. The decision of the Odisha government to build 51 cold storage in the district has come as a blessing to them. The remaining 27 will be completed within a short time, district horticulture officer, Sudam Chandra Biswal informed. Biswal was attending a function recently for the inauguration of cold storage built by ‘Echofrost’ at Lendirimaliguda locality in the district. He said that the decision to build 51 cold storage in the district was taken during FY 22-23. Each cold storage will have a capacity of 10 metric tonne and approximately Rs 15 lakh will be spent for building each of these facilities, Biswal said.
Among the 24 cold storages that have become operational, six are in Koraput block, three in Lamtaput, two each in Laxmipur Semiliguda, Pottangi, Borigumma, Jeypore, and Nandapur blocks, one each in Dashamantapur, Kotpad, and Narayanpatna blocks.
Officials stated that farmers will now be able to store their produce for a substantial period and get the right prices. The cold storage is being operated under the supervision of local women’s self-help groups (SHGs). They have been trained by a team from ‘Echofrost’ and the district horticulture department, an official stated.
