Sudurpaschim's cold storage projects stall, leaving farmers with high costs

Five years into a provincial government initiative to build cold storage facilities in Sudurpaschim, Nepal, the program has largely failed, with only one of 13 announced projects operational. The initiative, intended to help farmers store produce, reduce losses, and improve market access, has instead become a symbol of wasteful spending and poor governance.

Many of the cold storage facilities remain under construction despite repeated deadline extensions, while others are complete but never put into use. In Dadeldhura district, a facility announced in April 2021 remains unfinished, with the contractor failing to complete the project. Local farmers, like potato seed producer Lal Bahadur Dala, express frustration, stating they still face high storage costs and the need to transport produce long distances to functional facilities.

Across the region, the situation is similar. While six structures have been completed, only one in Martadi, Bajura district, is operational. The projects, initially estimated at Rs81.5 million, have already seen over Rs52.5 million spent, yet most facilities are unused. Officials cite a shortage of skilled technicians, inadequate equipment, and a lack of operational frameworks as reasons for the failure, indicating that many facilities were built without proper planning for their operation.

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We were told the cold storage would make life easier for farmers. Instead, we still have to transport our produce long distances and pay high storage costs elsewhere.