masterplan for cold storage requirements in kerala - Agmarknet

VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
1. Kerala is one of the thickly populated states in India. Horticultural
production in the state is very poor and it imports most of the fruits
and vegetables from the neighbouring states.
2. The annual growth rate in the area of food grain is negative in the
state as compared to positive growth rate in neighbouring states.
3. In case of vegetables and fruits, there is no marketable surplus and
therefore the growth of cold storages for horticultural items in the
state is very slow compared to other southern states. More over the
generally cold stored items like potato, apple, oranges, tamarind,
chilly etc are not cultivated in Kerala.
4. Almost 98% of the cold storages in the state are for storage of marine
products operated by the exporters for their captive use.
5. Even though the production of fruits and vegetables in the state is
poor the arrival of fruits and vegetables in the markets is very good.
Fruits and vegetables are brought to the markets throughout the states
on a daily basis. The arrivals are mainly from Coimbatore, Bangalore,
Madurai, Tirunelveli, Odamchatram etc.
6. The traders are bringing fruits and vegetables according to the
demand, to reduce the spoilage. In case of truck strike, harthal etc.,
which is very frequent in Kerala, the arrivals from outside states get
affected. The prices of essential items increase on such occasions. If
sufficient cold storages are available, this can be controlled to some
extent.
7. Due to poor production, the growth of cold storages for fruits and
vegetables in the state is very slow. However considering the huge
arrival of fruits and vegetables in the markets across the state, there is
a need for cold storages in major cities. Banana and pineapple are
some of the main fruits produced in the state. The spoilage of bananas
can be reduced by constructing ripening rooms. There is also good
potential for export of fruits and vegetables.
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