Emerging trends in the cold chain industry: what to watch for

Implementing an efficient cold chain system would bring about significant social transformation since 60 percent of the working population is involved in agriculture production.

The Cold Chain Industry is a crucial factor that can bring about social transformation in India by ensuring quality, improving the nutritional value of food, reducing waste, and significantly increasing farmers’ income. However, the lack of timely activation and support for a productive and interconnected cold chain by the government and organised retail has resulted in low revenues for all stakeholders. The unwillingness to make significant investments in cold chains is at the core of the dilemma. This is due to a need for more collaboration among private sector investors, local government bodies, and cooperatives, resulting in uncertainties regarding regular supply of local farm produce and the complexity of establishing a secure and dependable national ground transfer system. Developed countries have implemented and optimised this chain, resulting in substantial profits.

Packhouses and efficient cold chain system
Packhouses are the answer to enhancing the value to the farmers for their agricultural produce. A Packhouse performs large-scale sorting, cleaning and dressing, inspecting, packaging, temporary Cold Store preserving, and planned to despatch to Locations where enhanced value can be realised and transferred directly to the seller. These Pack houses are located close to a collective of farms, and freight operator cooperatives can run the cold chain transport by multimodal transport to the point of sale. However, the entire link must be connected through a well-regulated and efficiently-operated business that is carefully monitored to ensure reliability and effectiveness.

International aid agencies and the Maharashtra Government are setting up over 700 Packhouse across Maharashtra as a precursor to a National roll-out; by establishing a close commercial link between packhouses and farmer cooperatives, an efficient and speedy multimodal cold chain system can be established to transport agricultural produce to various points of sale. The railways have introduced Roll Roll (RORO) Trains that can quickly assemble and discharge a long train of refrigerated trucks that can swiftly traverse the uninterrupted rail corridors of India – to reach points of sale anywhere within 48 hours.

Role of state governments and nodal agencies
The State Government and other Nodal Agencies like NHB must take the lead to specify and catalyse a smooth transition that enables this process through easy regulation and tax incentives. Elimination of the speculation of middlemen for ungainly profiteering shall contribute directly to the producer – i.e. the farmer as well as benefit end customers to avail of fair prices in cities that are large centres of consumption.

Since 60 percent of our working population is agricultural producers, the transformation to a beneficial cold chain shall have an impactful social transformation. To ensure the development of efficient refrigeration systems, technology must be the driving force behind the innovation, and a combination of grid and renewable energy sources must power these systems. Furthermore, it is essential to have fail-safe cooling systems and communication capabilities on board for transport refrigeration systems. Phase change materials, efficient onboard batteries for 24-hour refrigeration, scroll-based refrigeration systems, and EV transport are some of the emerging technologies contributing to enhancing the reliability and efficiency of refrigeration systems, which are the backbone of the cold chain industry.

The preservation of agriculture through refrigeration and the cold chain enhances healthcare and boosts the national GDP, thus overall benefiting humanity. Therefore, it is essential to continually drive the development of industrial and engineering expertise to ensure that this sector thrives, benefiting society and commerce.