Fruits, veggie vending machines at 10 places in B'luru

Machines that vend fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and seeds will soon be installed at 10 public places in the city.

All you will have to do is insert a Rs 10 or Rs 20 note and get what you want.

The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), which has developed the machines at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh each, has sent a proposal to the state government to instal them at bus stands, railway stations, the BBMP head office, Lalbagh and main markets.

The machines will vend 36 different fruits, vegetables, flowers and seeds round the clock. IIHR representatives will be present to help customers.

The first of such machines has already been set up on the IIHR campus in Hesaraghatta, according to the institute’s director, M R Dinesh. The machines are generating interest. The Puducherry agriculture minister visited the institute recently and placed an order for setting them up in the union territory, Dinesh added.

The IIHR has also come up with a fruit and vegetable vending mobile van that can store 400 kg of fruits and vegetable and keep them fresh for at least two days. Each van will be fitted with humidifying boxes to keep fruits and vegetables cool and fresh. The rooftop will have a solar panel to power the boxes. Each van costs Rs 12 lakh, including the steel material and the solar panel.

Mushroom rasam in mid-day meals

The IIHR has suggested including mushroom powder-mixed rasam in mid-day meals. “...Mushrooms are
rich in protein as well as vitamins B and D that help in children’s growth,” said institute director, M R Dinesh.