Solar-powered vending vans adding shelf-life of veggies to

Seeking to address the major challenge of horticultural producers, 23 solar-powered vegetable and fruit vending vans that would increase the shelf life of the produce by at least two days will roll out in Karnataka, a top IIHR official said.

The vending machines, one each in 23 districts of the state, have been developed by IIHR on a request by the state government, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Director, M R Dinesh told reporters.

"We have developed vegetable and fruit vending vans. The state government under the Sujala Water Shed Development Project, which is a world bank scheme, had asked us to prepare a van.

As you know that the vegetables and fruits don't have long shelf life, they asked us to prepare a van," he said.

Explaining the speciality of the vans, Dinesh said it maintains the temperature at 14 degree celsius with the required humidity percentage.

"Humidity is maintained by the solar panel.Besides vending vegetables, these vehicles will also have seed vending machines. The seeds will be of high yielding variety developed by IIHR," he added.

The first batch of van has been given to the Horticulture Producers Cooperative Marketing and Producing Society (HOPCOMS) in Mysuru, who have demanded one more.

The IIHR also intends to promote the sale of vegetables and fruits through the Farmers Produce Organisations (FPOs) in order to do away with middlemen.

One of the FPOs is promoted by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and supported by IIHR at Gonikoppal in Kodagu, Dinesh said adding the FPO has started another outlet in the district.

"These are the things we are doing through FPOs because instead of a single farmer, FPO, which is a congregation of farmers, will be a strong body to market things," the horticulture expert said.

Asked about the proposal to set up such seed vending machines at railway stations and bus terminus, Dinesh said they will be set up in two to three months.

The IIHR's main aim is to set it up in the interior districts because wherever vegetable clusters are there, setting them up in such points will be more useful, he added.

On other achievements, Dinesh said the IIHR, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has released 285 high yielding and disease resistant varieties in fruits, vegetables, flowers and medicinal crops for the benefit of farming community.

"The institute has released 144 technologies for the benefit of farming community, the impact of which through technologies like Dogridge rootstocks, biopesticides, high yielding varieties and micro nutrient formulations has resulted in (a revenue of) Rs 13,220 crore annually," Dinesh said.