Cold storage facilities at BIA

Cold storage facilities at BIA
Saturday April 26 2008 09:27 IST

A T Subrahmanya
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BANGALORE: THE flower export industry in the state has got a shot in the arm after the horticulture department obtained two bulk cold storage facilities for both international and domestic usage at the new Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli.

The floriculture industry in the state is pegged to be around Rs 450 crore. The state is now bound to gain more from the sanctioned 2600 sqft bulk cold room storage facility.

P Ganeshan, Secretary, Horticulture Department, told this website’s newspaper: “The sanctioned cold storage facilities at the new airport will definitely boost the floriculture industry as there is high demand for the state’s modern as well as traditional flowers abroad. We are now exploring different possibilities of meeting day-to-day domestic and international demands.”

He added that the freight charges are very high in India when compared to the rest of the exporting countries.

The freight charges per stem is Rs 3.75 in India, whereas it is 90 paisa and Rs 1.75 per stem in Kenya and Holland respectively. We have written to the Commerce Ministry to look into the matter as high freight charges would hamper prospects of small and marginal farmers looking at exporting flowers.

The Secretary said they would start auctioning traditional flowers at the IFAB which is situated at Hebbal.

The famous jasmine variety from the Badavanahalli near Madhugiri and Chikkanahalli near Sira would be auctioned at the IFAB soon to entice the buyers, he added.