Himachal's first controlled atmosphere store with geothermal tech to be built in Kinnaur
Himachal's first controlled atmosphere store with geothermal tech to be built in Kinnaur
Shimla, The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation is planning to build a controlled atmosphere store with geothermal technology in collaboration with an Iceland company, horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Tuesday.
He said the pilot project would start in Tapri in Kinnaur district soon.
Talking to reporters after the 217th meeting of the Board of Directors of HPMC, Negi said this would be the first such store in the state.
Geothermal cooling utilises Earth's relatively constant below-surface temperatures to cool buildings. The heat from indoors of the building will be transferred to the cooler ground and back in a closed loop system.
Negi said the HPMC has already established a fruit and vegetable dryer, which has started working on a small scale 500 kg per day and the results were good.
He said use of geothermal technology could be an eye opener; it could be used to generate electricity and keep homes centrally heated in the coming times.
Citing that the corporation has attained the highest ever production of 2,000 tonnes of apple concentrate, the minister said he hoped it would earn the highest-ever profit of up to ₹5 crore this financial year.
He said the HPMC apple juice is in demand since it contains no added sugar. The corporation has also started manufacturing of apple cider, vinegar and wines, which are now being sold in several metros, including Delhi and Jaipur.
The minister said the HPMC land lying idle would be utilised to earn revenue. Around ₹100 crore is expected upfront, with an annual rent revenue of ₹2 crore.
He said the Board of Directors has decided to give the controlled atmosphere stores and the grading packing centres in the state to private people through a tender process.
Negi said HPMC has been working for the gardeners and farmers of Himachal Pradesh for a long time. Apart from this, it also holds the responsibility of procurement of apples under the Market Intervention Scheme.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
