Cold Storage Project in Saptari Stalled, Farmers Face Losses Due to Lack of Facility

The long-awaited cold storage facility in Saptari district remains incomplete, leaving local farmers facing significant losses due to spoilage of fruits and vegetables. The construction of the cold storage, which began in 2075 BS at Deuri, Rajbiraj Municipality-15, has been stalled since 2078 BS. The project, with a storage capacity of 3,000 metric tons, has a total cost of Rs 280 million.

Ramesh Prasad Gupta, manager of the District Co-operative Society Saptari, reported that work on the cold storage halted due to insufficient funds. Although Rs 6.36 million was allocated for the project in the fiscal year 2076/77 BS, the remaining Rs 100.75 million has not yet been disbursed by the federal government.

Gupta has repeatedly requested additional funding from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. In contrast, a similar cold storage project in Nawalparasi has been completed and is operational. This project, like the one in Saptari, was built on one and a half acres of land with 60% federal subsidy, 20% from associations, and 20% from local and state governments.

Without a functioning cold storage facility, local products such as bananas, mangoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic are going to waste. Farmers are forced to sell their produce at lower prices locally, while purchasing fruits and vegetables at higher rates during the off-season.

Gupta noted that the cold storage was intended to help store local produce and improve market access for farmers. Although the Madhes Province Government has allocated Rs 80 million for the project in the current fiscal year 2024/25, the funds have yet to be received.