Seven cold storages built under the auspices of the Tiruchi Marketing Committee in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts are set to become functional soon.
The storages have been built with assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. According to sources in the marketing committee, the storages for vegetables, fruits and other agricultural produces have been built at the Marketing Committees in Karur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thuraiyur and Thuvarankurichi. The facilities at Karur, Perambalur, Ariyalur are of 25 tonne capacity each, the ones at Thuraiyur and Thuvarankurichi are 100 tonnes capacity each.
The storages of 25 tonne capacities have been established at an approximate cost of about Rs.38 lakhs each. The ones with 100 tonne capacity with grading and sorting yards have been built at a cost of Rs.1 crore each.
This apart, a cold storage for banana has been built at Integrated Market Complex for Banana at Thiruchendurai near Tiruchi.
This was meant for farmers who come to sell their produce at the market through weekly auctions.
The 1000 tonne cold storage has been established at a cost of about Rs.2 crore. A 50-tonne cold storage for onion has been established at Chettikulam at a cost of about Rs.1.45 crore.
The cold storages would be handed over to farmers or farmers producers companies.
Tenders have been called for same.
Farmers or farmers companies can run the cold storages, charging rent for produce stored at the facilities.
