Kendrapara: Lack of cold storage units has significantly impacted the agrarian prosperity of this district while the infrastructure bottleneck has forced the people to rely on imports from neighbouring states throughout the year. The absence of cold storage facilities has also rendered the Potato Mission initiative of the state government ineffective.
According to sources, the government is providing incentives for the construction of private cold storage facilities, but exorbitant energy bills have deterred young entrepreneurs from investing in this critical infrastructure. Entrepreneurs like Swaraj Samal, and intellectuals including Ashish Kumar Senapati, Radhakanta Mohanty, Prashant Kumar Nayak, and Rajesh Kumar Behera, have emphasised that cold storage units are crucial for sustaining the agricultural economy. The gravity of the problem can be gauged from the fact that only 49 out of 129 cold stores in the state’s 314 blocks are operational. The infrastructure crunch is severely affecting the state’s agricultural economy, said sources.
In Kendrapara, industrialist Rabi Sahu built a cold storage at Shyamasundarpur in 1985 with a bank loan. It was operating for nearly 15 years but later it was shut down due to pending electricity bills. The cold store had initially provided stimulus to potato cultivation in the district, but after its closure, the cultivation declined.
Currently, local agricultural produce cannot be preserved, resulting in year-round dependence on vegetables imported from other states to meet the district’s demands. Vegetables like potatoes, onions and bananas are being imported, which are often toxic, but consumers are forced to purchase them. If cold storage facilities were established, small agro-industries like tomato sauce and potato chip manufacturing units could also thrive.
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Despite government incentives, high electricity bills remain a major hurdle for sustenance of the cold stores that are essential for ensuring fair prices for farmers’ produce. Subsidies and streamlined processes, such as single-window clearance for loans, can encourage industrialists to invest in cold storage facilities. This will not only support the district’s agricultural development but also help maintain economic stability, said the intellectuals. Kendrapara additional district magistrate Nilu Mahapatra assured that the RMC cold storage would soon become operational.
Currently, the government is providing 55 per cent (approximately Rs 2.20 crore) subsidy for private cold storage projects. Two entrepreneurs in the district have already been approved for constructing cold storage facilities. Additionally, efforts are underway to promote small-scale refrigeration units at the panchayat level.