Why is Arunachal Pradesh's Tage Tatung in Paris this week?

1. To Paris. To Paris…

2. On Friday, 28th June 2014
Tage Tatung
was in seventh heaven.
Who will not, if one were to fly to Paris
(France), the world’s fashion capital, in
the next 48 hours? But that was not the
reason behind his extra-cheerfulness.
Then what?
Before resolving that puzzle, let us
figure out who he is. Tatung is the
Managing Director of Arunachal
Pradesh Horticultural Produce
Marketing & Processing Board (APHPM
& PB), a state government undertaking.
He took charge almost a year ago and
eager to usher in a major change in the
horti-rich Arunachal Pradesh. The Board
was created to give a fresh fillip to the
state’s horticultural bounty.

3. Tatung is leading a 7-member delegation of Nodal Officers of select horticultural officers from
the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chattisgarh to Paris,
France to attend a week long training organised by National Centre for Cold-Chain
Development (NCCD), an autonomous body set up under the Minsitry of Agriculture.
Why Paris, France? What’s so special about it….

4. Cemafroid is the brainchild of Agriculture ministry of France set up in 1950. It was in charge of
preparing and applying the regulatory texts for the food sector which rolled out in 1950. The
cold-chain was considered a key component in food safety within which, temperature-
controlled carriage was understood as the major link in this chain. In order to ensure quality
through best practises, protocols and for guiding equipment standards, the French Ministry of
Agriculture established Cemafroid in 1953 as a technical centre (then named “Antony
Laboratory”).
This centre developed protocols that formed the basis to the drafting of ATP in 1970 - this is
the United Nations Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on
the Special Equipment to be used for such carriage. In 1981 this technical centre was named
Cemagref as a public institution and then in 2000 the name Cemafroid was adopted, entering
into collaboration with other functional organisations.
In 2008 Cemafroid was authorised for issuing certification for refrigerant handling and has
since evolved to develop activities in accreditation and certification for the France’s Ministry of
Agriculture, Ecology and for industrial products, according to a Briefing Note prepared for the
Tatung-led delegation by NCCD.

5. On April 2, 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding or MoU was signed between India and
France – bringing NCCD and Cemafroid together to work together on the cold-chain arena.
The Tatung-led delegation is the first of training series for Indian officials working in various
state horticulture departments. More delegations are in the pipeline over the next few weeks.

6. How did this concept of training come about?
Explains Chief Advisor & CEO of NCCD
Capt. Pawanexh Kohli:
“In December 2013, to improve on Centre-State
coordination for cold-chain development, State
governments were asked to nominate Nodal Officers
for Cold-chain Development. These officers
nominated were seen to be from the field of
Horticulture and related fields. NCCD recommended
that these officers and/or Mission Directors be
provided holistic trainings on various aspects of cold-
chain for value-added understanding and to
improve government to industry interface on
the subject.
This recommendation was approved by
the NCCD’s Governing Council. It was also
realised that with post-harvest management
being a thrust area under the newly formed
Mission for Integrated Development of
Horticulture (MIDH), such training would help
the integrated approach under MIDH.”

7. NCCD viewed the collaboration with Cemafroid as an opportunity to develop and provide such
training to Nodal Officers such as Tage Tatung. A special curriculum was devised, for a series
of 3 trainings, outside of the standard offerings of Cemafroid, so as to provide knowledge
related to the needs of these officers supporting cold chain development.
As part of the initiative, NCCD also saw advantage in offering this training to their
Category-C members with the intention that a heterogeneous group of government and
private industry individuals would benefit more from the shared curriculum.

8. Over the next five days, Tatung and his team will be in a classroom, to understand the
following:
> Understanding of refrigeration and the application across the major functional
segments.
> Understanding on the economics which will help improve overall assessment of the
value chain, the projects and the future direction in development.
> Understanding on last mile delivery systems into focus, and improve integrated
project based approach to cold-chain development.
> Improved understanding on shelf life enhancement as correlated to holistic use of
cold-chain. Special focus is given to fresh produce life cycles as this sector has the
most to develop and gain in India.

9. > Understanding of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) applied to cold-chain
so as to better guide safe handling and for improved value gain.
> Learning about voluntary certification in the cold-chain. To understand thetheoretical,
technical and regulatory framework in maintenance and monitoring of cold chain facilities.
> Understanding of environmental regulations in relation to refrigerants used. This will
harmonise understanding from a global perspective and with other NCCD trainings will help
future development to be more environment conscious with the larger agenda of India’s
continued development of a green cold-chain.
> Reefer transport is the weakest link in the chain and learning to audit will improve the
guidance mechanism for beneficiaries of various schemes.

10. What about sight seeing?
Say,
the Eiffel Tower?

11. What about relishing a bit of roadside Cafes?

12. How about a nice boat ride?

13. But ….
Where is the TIME?