CM invites foreign players in cold-storage chain

“We want private companies in the country and also foreigners to join us in improving our market mechanism, to set up cold storages and cold chains,” Bhattacharjee said. A cold chain is a continuous series of storage and distribution activities that maintains a given temperature range. This mechanism helps preserve vegetables for a longer period.

Shortly after taking over as chief minister for a second term in 2006, Bhattacharjee had allowed Metro AG, the German wholesale player, to enter the state but had said no to foreign retailers like Wal-Mart.

“We lack a good market mechanism in West Bengal. The question is how to preserve potatoes and vegetables. We must have more cold storages and cold chains,” he said, at the India International Potato Expo 2008 here.

He said at the recently held meeting of the National Development Council, he had asked the Centre for assistance to set up cold chain facilities in the state.

West Bengal, which is the second-largest potato producing state in the country, has 390 cold storage units with a combined capacity of 52 lakh tonne. According to the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, at least 15 per cent of their capacity is unused.

Prominent investors in West Bengal’s food processing industry include PepsiCo, which has tied up with farmers for a special variety of potato it needs for its Frito-Lays chips, and Del Monte Pacific Ltd, which is setting up a pineapple and mango processing plant. Companies like Unilever and Nestle have also expressed interest in setting up food processing units here.

“Foreigners, who want to join us in potato processing and making potato chips, are most welcome,” Bhattacharjee said. “Potato powder has huge demand in West Asia and West Bengal is ready to provide that,” he said.