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The food wastage & cold storage infrastructure relationship in India: developing realistic solutions

India, the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, is throwing away fresh produce worth Rs133 bn every year because of lack of adequate cold storage facilities and refrigerated transport, according to data compiled in this new report by Emerson Climate Technologies. India, the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, is throwing away fresh produce worth Rs133 bn every year because of the country’s lack of adequate cold storage facilities and refrigerated transport, according to data compiled in a new report by Emerson Climate Technologies India, a business of the US-based manufacturing and technology company Emerson. The Emerson food wastage and cold storage report cites studies that have pegged the value of fruits, vegetables and grains wastage in India at Rs440 bn annually. Fruits and vegetables account for the largest portion of that wastage. Eighteen per cent of India’s fruit and vegetable production – valued at Rs133 billion – is wasted annually, according to data from the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET). Two of the biggest contributors to food losses are the lack of refrigerated transport and the lack of high quality cold storage facilities for food manufacturers and food sellers.

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