fruits and vegetable supply chain - cold third-party logistics

The maximum amount of food losses in the fruits and vegetable supply chain due to quality and mismatch between supply and demand. As per the Global Agenda Council on Logistics and Supply Chains indicated that fruits and vegetables food losses due to improper handling and lack of proper cold transportation such as cold-logistics facilities/providers or inadequate infrastructure.

In this article, a unique fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making approach is proposed for improving the food losses through cold-third party logistics providers (CTPLs) evaluation and selection process. Through a literature survey and expert opinion, five criteria and thirty sub-criteria were identified for reducing the food losses in fruits and vegetable supply chain.

The proposed tool use of fuzzy-Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory tool for selection and evaluation the priority weights of the factors and fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process tool assessing the best CTPLs according to factors. The result shows that ‘Refrigerator and loading capacity’ and ‘Knowledge and Information technology management’ were most significant in the selection of CTPLs.

The findings of this paper are anticipated to guide managers of the food industry, CTPLs, and government agencies in formulating of strategies for the practical food supply chain. Future scope includes extending the study for other developing countries, validating the proposed methodology, and improving the reliability of the model.

India produces sufficient food to fulfil the demand of its entire nation's population; however, it is not able to feed billions of them. India is the 2nd highest grower of fruits and vegetable, and at the other hand twenty-five to thirty per cent of it is food losses and damages due to insufficient transportation and distribution facilities such as cold storage, dedicated fleet, cold trucks, etc.

Principato et al. mentioned that food loss and wastage maximum at the consumption side. mentioned in the report published by United Nations, estimated that every year approximately one-third of all food items/products for society is lost and its value nearby dollar 8.3 billion. As per the Global Hunger Index (GHI), survey 2017 report mentioned that India was the 119 ranked in the world.

As per the Global Agenda Council on Logistics and Supply Chains indicated that fruits and vegetables food losses due to improper handling and lack of proper cold transportation such as cold-logistics facilities or inadequate infrastructure. Stated that an excellent logistics facility and logistics management is one of the essential and active processes to improve food losses within supply chain management.

The selection of 3PL issue has brought the attention of many organisations and academicians across the world. Logistics outsourcing or 3PL can offer greater competitiveness. They have specific logistics core competencies, which make them capable of managing the logistics activities more effectively and efficiently than their partners. Most of the firms prefer to do logistics outsourcing, and due to this, the total profit margin of the organisations have increased

As the firm is working with 25 vendors, 400 progressive dairy and fruits and vegetable farmers, 40 distant direct vendors, and various village milk collection centres. The collection of raw milk from different farmers and producers is around forty thousand, and for this purpose, they have to travel near and around small villages and towns: everyday raw milk collection and processed milk to collect and delivery within 100 km distance from the plant. To handle these complexities ABC Pvt. Ltd. is considered for the case study.

Evaluation and selection of CTPLs problem become more critical for the effectiveness of the food supply chain. The selection of CTPLs is depended on various factors. The factors and their hierarchies are identified by one to one interaction with the experts of a food firm in India. In this article, thirty sub-criteria clubbed into five broad categories, i.e., Knowledge and Information technology management; Budget and Government approvals; Safety, security, comfort, convenience, and aesthetics view; Maintenance Management; Refrigerator and loading capacity.