Trends to watch in 2022 for cold chain industry

Since 60 percent of the working population is agricultural producers, the transformation to a beneficial cold chain shall have impactful social transformation.

The Cold Chain Industry is the singular and significant path that can assure quality, enhance food nutrition value, remove waste and substantially multiply Farmer income to become the catalyst for social transformation in India. It is the delay to activate and support a productive and connected Cold Chain – both by the Government and Organised Retail that has led to low revenues for all stakeholders. 

At the Core of the dilemma rests the unwillingness to invest deeply into Cold Chains – because private sector investors , local Government bodies and Cooperatives have not acted as a unified collective – due to uncertainties of regular local farm produce and complexity of a nationally secure and reliable ground transfer arrangement. Developed nations have perfected this Chain to yield high incomes. 

Pack houses 

Pack Houses are the answer to enhancing the value to the Farmers for their Agricultural Produce. A Pack House performs the functions of – large scale sorting, cleaning and dressing, inspecting, packaging, temporary Cold Store preserving and planned despatching 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 then Freight operator cooperatives can run the Cold Chain Transport by multimodal transport to the point of sale. The whole link must be connected by a Business that is well encouraged, monitored and regulated to perform efficiently and reliably. 

International Aid Agencies and the Maharashtra Government are setting up over 700 Pack House, located all across Maharashtra as a precursor to a National roll out. This combination of pack houses closely linked commercially to the Farmer Cooperative – shall engage efficient and fast Multi Modal Cold Chains to the points of Sale. The Railways have introduced Roll on Roll off (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. 

State governments and nodal agencies role 

The State Government and other Nodal Agencies like NHB must take a lead to specify and catalyse a smooth transition that enables this process – both by 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 impactful social transformation. 

Technology must drive the innovation of efficient refrigeration systems that are powered reliably by a hybrid of grid and renewable energy. The Transport refrigeration systems must have communication and no fail cooling systems on board. 

Phase change materials, efficient on board batteries to power 24 hour refrigeration, EV transport, Scroll Based Refrigeration Systems – are each contributing to enhance the reliability and efficiency of the heart of the Cold Chain – the Refrigeration System. 

IIR, International Institute of Refrigeration, AAR (Association of Ammonia Refrigeration) and ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) are individually and jointly working on developing Standards, Design guides and offering Platforms for exposition of refrigeration and the cold chain. 

Refrigeration and the cold chain preserve agriculture, enhance Health care and contribute to the National GDP and well being of Humanity. There is every need for Industrial and Engineering expertise to continually drive it and benefit from commerce too.