Cold storage launch plan in food crop deficient Manipur
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 30, 2025 -

DECADES after launch of various schemes and projects aimed at securing livelihood of the marginalised farming community and increasing the crop yield to meet the growing demand of the burgeoning population, it is heartening to learn that the government of Manipur has realised the need for having functional cold storage facilities across the state.

Even though Manipur has been heavily relying on agricultural produce brought from Assam, Bihar and other states having surplus agricultural and horticultural crops, one can't, deny the fact that the local farmers have been toiling hard to meet the demand for fruits and vegetables.

Absence of irrigation networks might be the main factor for the state's farmers unable to increase the crop yield but the local food producers merit appreciation for overcoming all the obstacles in their endeavour to ensure fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

However, crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, etc., which are highly suitable to the soil of the land but have short shelve life often go waste due to absence of cold storage facility consequently demoralising the farmers who suffer huge financial losses.

At a glance, the state seems to be falling far short in the production of fruits and vegetables but official estimation that out of around 4,80,696 metric tonnes of fruits produced each year, nearly 1.5 lakh metric tonnes are lost to spoilage and approximately 88,000 metric tonnes of vegetables out of total output of 3,15,764 metric tonnes perish without reaching the consumers, underscores urgent need to set up cold storages.

In case of spices, including turmeric and chillies, from a total yield of 1,72,454 metric tonnes each year, nearly 84,000 metric tonnes go waste.

These figures of crop loss also speak volume about the financial burden befalling on the food producers.

Amid such a distressful situation besieging the farmers and with the global warming phenomenon already starting to have its impact in the state, it is but natural that information about the Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation completing structural construction of cold storage facilities in various districts would serve as sweet music to the ears of the hard-working farmers.

In case their surplus seasonal produce could be stocked properly sale of the same during the off season would naturally command higher price, eventually encouraging them to explore plantation of different varieties of food and cash crops.

Moreover, as there has been significant improvement in power supply compared to the past, there should be no serious issues in operating the cold storage facilities established under multiple schemes initiated by the Department and primed for formal launch by May this year.

With top officials of the Horticulture & Soil Conservation Department conceding that huge quantities of agricultural produce go waste annually due to the lack of proper storage facilities, it is hoped that formal inauguration of the said facilities take place within short notice and the department authorities ensure proper operation of the same.

It is equally important that the department officials introspect reasons for failure of similar facilities that existed in the past, failing which not only the farmers would be left high and dry but also compel the masses to continue believing that agricultural activities in the state are most profound in newspapers.