Container Corporation of India (Concor), the largest container train service provider, has launched a banana and apple cold storage centre with ripening facility at Azadpur Mandi (wholesale market in Delhi), with a capacity of handling 60 tonnes a day.
Anil Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Concor, said this in a conference here today.
The facility can be used throughout the year barring January and February, and it is expected to be profitable.
Launching the facility, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, but a lot of cargo gets damaged due to lack of handling facilities.
This is the first time that Concor is getting into handling banana and apple, said AlliRani, Director-Finance, Concor.
This perishable cargo centre, located near a railhead, is Concor’s venture, according to Yashpal, Director-export-import, Concor.
Concor’s subsidiary – Fresh and Healthy Enterprises Ltd – handles apples, kinnow and grapes in Himachal Pradesh.