Come summer and storing fruits and veggies turns into a real headache for local sellers and farmers. Without proper storage, much of their produce goes bad, costing them money they can’t afford to lose. Heat and humidity speed everything up—fresh stuff just doesn’t last. While many sellers and farmers rely on desi juggad or old-school fixes like wrapping fruits and veggies in a wet cloth or stashing them in the coolest part of the house, but honestly, when it gets really hot, these tricks just don’t cut it. The truth is, you pretty much need a refrigerator if you want to keep fruits and veggies fresh in summer. But for many street vendors, farmers, or mandi sellers, even getting a used fridge is out of reach. They’ve got enough trouble just covering daily expenses. While most of us walk past them every day and never really notice just how much they’re losing. Still, change starts when someone actually pays attention and does something about it. That’s exactly what happened here—someone saw what was going on and came up with an affordable, practical fix. Now, his solution is helping save tons of produce, and a lot of people get to keep more of what they earn.
Who is he and what did he do for fruit and vegetable sellers/farmers?
Meet Vishal Sighal, who innovated a unique cooling technology that is no less than a blessing for Indian fruit and vegetable sellers. He innovated a technology that uses water and a crate to keep vegetables and fruits fresh for hours. Thanks to his innovation, sellers don’t need to invest a huge chunk of money in a fridge. The concept is called Cold Easy Box, a portable cooling crate built with a crate and regular water.
How does the crate work and what is so special about it
According to their website, Cold Easy Box is an affordable, sustainable solution for preserving produce and minimizing post-harvest losses. Their technology enables both small farmers and large agribusinesses to operate sustainably and efficiently, regardless of rising temperatures. Vishal, who returned to India after 15 years saw the gap and struggle of farmers and local vendors, which led him to think of this smart and sustainable solution. And if you are wondering, what makes it special? Well, it has no wires, no compressors, no moving parts, and doesn’t require any electricity to keep the produce fresh. All you need is a few glasses of water and you can prevent a huge loss as a farmer or a vendor/seller. It is priced at just Rs 3,500, which is easy to transport and portable to store even in a small space and can keep vendors and farmers stress-free about spoilage, protecting their daily earnings. It is basically a crate with an outer lining and space to pour water. All you need to do is store veggies and fruits in the crate and pour water in the lining space. As the water evaporates, it cools the crate inside from all sides, which helps keep the veggies and fruits fresh and last them longer even in extreme hot weather conditions. Vishal’s aim is to prioritize clean technology with low-power cooling methods that help combat climate change. They work to create solutions that promote greener operations, reduce emissions, and contribute to a sustainable future.
Why was this needed?
According to a report submitted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in Rajya Sabha for February 2025, the fruit market suffered a loss of 7.36 million tonnes (6.02–15.05%), and the vegetable market suffered a loss of 11.97 million tonnes (4.87–11.61% of the economy). Sadly, all the losses happened because of fruits and veggies got spoiled for some reason or another.
What does it teach us
In a world driven by technology and digitalization, a simple solution made with a simple crate is not just humbling; it also makes us realise that all it takes is a simple step to extend a hand of help and bring about change in the society. It also helps us understand that a simple science lesson from school days can actually make a big impact on life of people and economy at large
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