In India, especially in the agricultural sector, cold storage facilities are essential for bridging supply chain gaps. In order to increase the shelf life of perishable products including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meat, these facilities offer a way to store them at low temperatures. We will look at how cold storage facilities in India address gaps in the supply chain and the integration needed for such facilities to be successful while also helping farmers in this document.
- Closing Supply Chain Holes: By addressing several issues in the supply chain, cold storage warehouses help to maintain a consistent and dependable flow of goods from farmers to consumers. These facilities fill in the following deficiencies in various ways:
- Preserving Perishable Produce: Farmers can store their produce for longer periods of time in cold storage facilities, preventing spoiling and minimizing loss. This is crucial in a nation like India where insufficient storage facilities cause a large portion of agricultural produce to be lost.
- Seasonal Demand Management: Cold storage facilities help close the supply-demand imbalance by keeping perishable items during periods of high production. Farmers can store their extra food, providing a steady supply even during slow production times like the off-season.
- Extending Shelf Life: Cold storage facilities provide carefully regulated temperature and humidity conditions that assist in maintaining the quality and freshness of agricultural products. By extending the produce’s shelf life, cold storage reduces losses and helps farmers get higher prices for their goods.
- Integration for Farmer Benefits and Profitability: Different integration strategies need to be put into place in order to support farmers while ensuring the profitability of cold storage facilities. Some important elements are:
- In order to cut down on transportation expenses and product handling, cold storage facilities should be strategically placed close to agricultural hubs. Integration with a productive logistics and distribution network guarantees prompt delivery of goods and minimizes transit losses. Integrating transportation and logistics is essential for connecting cold storage facilities with farmers and markets.
- Technology and Infrastructure: Investing in cutting-edge infrastructure and technology is essential to the financial success of cold storage facilities. This comprises equipment that is energy-efficient, temperature and humidity control systems, monitoring and inventory management software, and a backup power source. Utilizing tracking and control systems increases operational effectiveness and lowers energy costs, increasing profitability. These facilities can operate more effectively and cost less to operate when they are upgraded and maintained.
- Financial Support and Collaboration: In order to give farmers access to storage services at reasonable prices, cooperation between managers of cold storage facilities, agricultural cooperatives, and financial institutions is essential. Private sector investments in cold storage infrastructure can be significantly encouraged by government programs and subsidies. Using government funding and assistance for cold storage infrastructure can increase profitability and help farmers.
- Market Linkages: To make sure that farmers’ produce reaches potential customers, cold storage facilities need to have strong market links. By removing middlemen and establishing direct marketing channels, integration with retail chains, food processors, exporters, and e-commerce platforms can help farmers get fair pricing for their goods. By forming direct connections with merchants and markets, one may eliminate middlemen and guarantee farmers will receive higher prices.
The Cold Storage Solutions, and the Supply Chain Management
In India, cold storage facilities play a crucial role in bridging supply chain gaps, providing answers to the problems faced by farmers, and maintaining profitability. These warehouses assist in lowering losses, controlling seasonal demand, and extending shelf life by offering storage facilities for perishable items. For cold storage facilities to be successful and help farmers, integration through logistics, technology, infrastructure, funding, and market links is crucial. The development of a strong and sustainable agricultural supply chain in India can benefit by highlighting these factors.
What Issues Does The Indian Cold Supply Chain Industry Face, And How Are IOT, AI, And ML Being Leveraged As Digital Solutions To Solve Them?
Particularly after COVID-19, the Indian cold supply chain business is growing quickly and has enormous scope for expansion. The Indian cold chain logistics market was estimated at $ 24.62 billion in 2021; by 2027, it is anticipated to have grown to $53.07 billion, with a CAGR of 13.66%. In India, the cold supply chain industry is extremely fragmented and plagued by numerous problems, such as ineffective temperature management, monitoring, and tech integration. To overcome the obstacles, adjustments have been made.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to completely change the cold chain. Our platform can constantly monitor every stage of the storage and transportation processes by integrating IoT solutions, which have the potential to significantly reduce costs. By analyzing enormous amounts of real-time data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are assisting in delivering end-to-end insight into every cold chain activity. In addition to reducing human error, data and predictive analysis can assist in addressing issues with inventory management, stock control, quality testing, and pricing.
This blog is also worth reading for you: – What Is The Difference Between A Walk-In Cold Storage Warehouse And A Refrigerated Warehouse?
What Are The Principal Obstacles In The Cold Supply Chain That Result In Food Losses, And How Can A Carefully Thought-Out Cold Storage And Transportation Facility Assist In Resolving These Problems?
Due to inefficiencies in the cold supply chain, our country today suffers food losses of roughly $14 billion, the majority of which are post-harvest losses. Lack of temperature monitoring in cold storage facilities, the use of non-refrigerated vehicles for last-mile delivery or for shorter distances, a lack of technology for tracking and tracing distribution, a lack of reefer vehicles, incorrect handling of goods by untrained drivers and delivery personnel, and many other problems with managing perishables are challenges.
As a result of structural holes in the cold chain, shippers also suffer significant revenue losses. Another issue that affects rural farmers and food producers frequently is the absence of infrastructure for economical cold storage and cold transport. Farmers without access to refrigerated storage are compelled to sell their products at a loss in order to prevent wastage because fresh fruit has a finite shelf life. As a result, they suffer financial losses and have less access to larger markets.
A carefully thought-out cold storage and transportation facility can help reduce food waste, alleviate hunger, and also be advantageous to farmers. Effective temperature management has been shown to prolong the shelf life of fresh products as well as avoid food waste. It is feasible to monitor and ensure real-time updates and modifications with a smart warehouse management system that is coupled with a digital cold chain platform in order to maintain ideal temperatures throughout the storage and shipping process for perishable items. Additionally, farmers can explore numerous high-cash-yielding possibilities like fruits and exotic vegetables, which provide them superior profits, with the aid of a strong cold storage and cold supply infrastructure.
What Tools And Techniques Can Be Employed To Create An Efficient And Open Cold Supply Chain Network?
A seamless cold supply chain network that enables total transparency and real-time tracking may be created by effectively integrating AI, ML, IoT, and data-driven insights on a single platform. A 360° view of cold chain fleets is also provided by integration, including KPIs for capacity utilization, driving speed, and idle times. Given that it provides a transparent and secure platform for managing and tracking inventory as it moves through the supply chain, blockchain is quickly overtaking other technologies as the one that cold supply chain organizations prefer to employ.
NSSPL Offers Great Insights Into the Field of Cold Storage Solutions.
NSSPL offers super-quality, highly efficient, and effective cold storage solutions to clients. If you would like to understand the market cap or market structure of the supply chain in relation to cold storage, we will provide you with comprehensive information. We also offer consultation services on topics such as “Which is the best agriculture cold storage?” and “What are the features of cold storage?” Contact us for more information.
