In the current agricultural season, the cold chain storage facilities in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh have reported a 15% decrease in storage capacity. This decline is attributed to a reduction in potato production, a key commodity that typically occupies about 80% of the space in these cold chains. Compared to the previous season where storage levels were at around 85%, the current season has seen a significant drop due to lower supplies from potato farmers in the Indore region.
Notably, Madhya Pradesh is the 5th largest potato producing state in India, accounting for approximately 6.73% of the total potato production in the country and malwa region in Madhya Pradesh contributes a major share of potato production. From 2012 to 2016, the average potato production in Madhya Pradesh was 2,858,300 metric tons.
The storage of potatoes and other vegetables in cold chains typically begins in February and continues until October each year. The full capacity of the cold chains could not be utilized this season due to the decrease in potato output. While the potato cultivation decline impacted storage, supplies of beetroot and carrots partially compensated for the shortfall.
Potatoes, carrots, and beetroot are the primary vegetables occupying approximately 80-90% of the space in cold chains in the Indore region. Most of the items stored in the cold chains of Indore are sourced from areas within a 20-30 km radius.
The Cold Chain Association of Indore revealed that around 10 new cold chain facilities have been established in the Indore district, contributing to an increase of at least 60,000 tons in storage capacity. In Madhya Pradesh, there are approximately 300 cold storage facilities, with over 110 located in Indore and its neighboring regions such as Dewas, Dhar, and Ujjain.
