IJ
IJCRM
International Journal of Contemporary Research in Multidisciplinary
ISSN: 2583-7397
Open Access • Peer Reviewed
Impact Factor: 5.67

International Journal of Contemporary Research In Multidisciplinary, 2026;5(4):101-107

Assessment of Cold Storage Infrastructure in India: A Production–Capacity Gap Analysis (2015–2024)

Author Name: Subung Mochahari;   Prof. Prashanta Sharma;  

1. Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Gauhati University, Assam, India

2. Professor, HOD, Department of Commerce, Gauhati University, Assam, India

Abstract

India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. However, the post-harvest loss amounts to approximately ₹ 92,651 crores annually, including ₹16,644 crore from fruits and ₹14,842 crore from vegetables, causing significant economic burden to the country. This loss is persistent due to the perishability nature of the fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the F&V should be stored in a cold storage to enhance its shelf life and mitigate the losses. The present study attempts to examine the growth of both the cold storage and production of F&V in the country, its relationship and the gap persistent. It is found that production of F&V is growing relatively faster than the cold storage capacity. There is a gap of approximately 50 percent in the cold storage space in comparison to its required storage space, moreover the upward trend signifies a growing gap over the years. This is also supported by a downward trend of the coverage ratio. The correlation and regression analysis reveals a strong and positive relationship between the production of F&V and the cold storage capacity. Therefore, considering the persistent growing gap, there is a requirement of proper policy focusing in the growth and strengthening of the cold storage sector to mitigate the post-harvest loss.

Keywords

Cold storage, fruits and vegetables, storage gap, coverage ratio, correlation and regression.