Revolutionizing India's Horticultural Cold Chain: A Strategy for the Future

The Indian government has set an ambitious goal to slash post-harvest horticultural losses from 15% to below 5% by 2047, according to a senior agriculture ministry official. Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary for Horticulture, shared this vision at the inauguration of REFCOLD India 2025 in New Delhi.

With the world's second-largest horticulture output, India loses approximately 15 million tonnes of produce annually, impacting both the economy and nutritional security. To combat this, the government is revising engineering guidelines and digitizing cold chain infrastructure, a strategy that involves consultations with over 100 stakeholders and an All-India Cold Chain Survey.

This initiative promises significant economic benefits by bolstering farmer incomes and strengthening the food system. Industry leaders highlighted the importance of cold chain infrastructure to secure farmer incomes and expand global markets, as the global refrigerated transport market is expected to reach USD 216 billion by 2030.