DESCRIPTION

Cold chain, value addition and preservation infrastructure provide integrated cold chain and preservation facilities without any break from farm gate to consumer. It covers pre-cooling facilities at production sites, reefer vans, mobile cooling units as well as value addition centres which include infrastructural facilities like processing/multi-line processing/collection centres, etc., for horticulture, organic produce, marine, dairy, meat and poultry, etc.

The scheme aims to facilitate establishment of a strong cold chain facility for agricultural, horticultural, dairy, fish & marine, poultry & meat products by establishing linkage from farm gate to consumer, end to end, to reduce losses through efficient storage, transportation and minimal processing. The different components of the cold chain projects are given below:

·         Minimal processing centre at the farm level and centres is to have facility for weighing, sorting, grading waxing, packing, pre-cooling, control atmosphere

·         (CA)/modified atmosphere (MA) cold storage, normal storage and individual quick freezing (IQF).

·         Mobile pre-cooling vans and reefer trucks.

·         Distribution hubs with multi products and multi control atmosphere (CA)/modified atmosphere (MA) chambers/cold storage/variable humidity chambers, packing facility, cleaning in process (CIP) fog treatment, individual quick freezing (IQF) and blast freezing.

·         Irradiation facility

NATURE OF ASSISTANCE

 Cold chain for non-horticulture products is also being funded under the National Mission on Food Processing. NABARD provides concessional finance for construction of warehouses, godowns, silos and cold storage units designed to store agricultural produce, both in public and private sectors. Financial assistance (grant-in-aid) of 50% total cost of plant and machinery and technical civil works in general areas and 75% for NE region, including Sikkim and difficult areas (J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) subject to a maximum of Rs.10 crore.

WHO CAN APPLY

Individual, groups of entrepreneurs, cooperative societies, SHGs, Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs), NGOs, Central/State PSUs, etc., with business interest in cold chain solutions are eligible to set up integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure and avail grant under the scheme.

Cold Chain for Non-Horticulture Products are also being funded under the National Mission on Food Processing

HOW TO APPLY

NABARD provides concessional finance for construction of warehouses, godowns, silos and cold storage units. Applications under this scheme will be invited through 'Expression of Interest' by the Ministry.