Japanese warehousing major, Kawasaki Rikuso Transportation Co., will set up 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses across West Bengal, aided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as the chief funding agency and the state government’s agri marketing department’s retail initiative Sufal Bangla as a partner.
Kawasaki wants to export vegetables and fruits, first from West Bengal to Japan and later on to the nations of the European Union. This could create a market for surplus fruits and vegetables that are often sold at distress rates.
Kawasaki Rikuso occupies 742,700 ft2 of warehousing space across five locations in Japan and has annual sales of £100 million. It now has for the first time stepped out of the country and has chosen West Bengal as a partner state to make it a multinational venture.
Sufal Bangla, the West Bengal government’s agri retail chain, which started off with 16 stores and has at present expanded to 100 stores across the state, will provide the Japanese firm land at agri marketing centres on which warehouses would be set up.
