A senior researcher from India has developed a pushcart equipped with a refrigeration system to enable fruit and vegetable vendors store their goods for a longer time.
The pushcart was developed by A S Venu (28) of the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR). His model received an award at an FKCCI event recently. Venu says he plans to begin production of the cart in three months and has applied for a patent.
Each cart would cost Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. An option of renting it would also be available at Rs 500 per week. He claims the cart can keep green leafy vegetables fresh for two to three days and most other vegetables for seven days. Tomatoes can be stored for up to two weeks. The cart is also easier to manoeuvre, with a better steering system in place.
The model won the first prize of `1.5 lakh in a competition for business proposals conducted by FKCCI. The model won out of about 100 proposals and after going through five rounds.
