Government-Funded Mini Cold Storages in Manikganj Remain Unused by Farmers

Two mini cold storages constructed using government funds in Singair, Manikganj, have ended up causing a financial burden as they remain unused by the local farming community for whom they were intended. The overall initiative involved an expenditure of approximately 36 lakh taka to build the two distinct cold storage facilities within the region, designed to assist agricultural producers with crop preservation and storage challenges.

The entire project received its financial backing from the Climate Change Trust Fund, while the implementation and oversight of the construction were managed directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. General mini cold storage units typically feature a maximum storage capacity of up to 10 tons of agricultural products and involve a construction cost of approximately 5 lakh taka, whereas solar-powered mini cold storage variants cost around 18 lakh taka to build.

Among the constructed facilities, the mini cold storage located in Medulia village was officially inaugurated on August 27, 2025. The inauguration ceremony was conducted by the-then Agriculture Advisor, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. Although the project originally established a designated group consisting of 15 farmer members in Medulia, the intended agricultural beneficiaries have ultimately not utilized the facility for their farming needs.

Instead of serving the local farmers who face difficulties in storing their harvests, the cold storage situated in Medulia village is currently being actively used by local wholesale traders for their commercial purposes. Meanwhile, the second facility, which was built in South Jamsha, has been taken over for use by a local garden owner named Atik, leaving the original farming community empty-handed and facing a continued financial burden.

The failure of the project to serve its primary target demographic highlights a significant disconnect between government agricultural infrastructure initiatives and the actual operational realities faced by farmers on the ground. Despite the substantial financial investment of nearly 36 lakh taka sourced from the Climate Change Trust Fund and managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, the local agricultural producers in Manikganj remain unable to access or benefit from these much-needed storage solutions.