The exports of perishable commodities, especially fruits and vegetables from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, to other countries will soon run much more smoothly with the building of cold chain facilities at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar and Chandigarh International Airport.
The facility at Amritsar airport will be functional by June this year, becoming operational in Chandigarh by December. Currently, in the absence of cold chain infrastructure at these airports, exporters are either discouraged or compelled to export the consignments from Delhi, leading to high transport costs.
According to information, the cold chain facility at Amritsar airport has been in operation since 2013 and was maintained and operated by Punjab Agri Export Corporation Ltd (PAGREXO). However, the facility was discontinued in 2014, thus affecting the exports for over years.
