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`Tech. options can check post-harvest losses'

By Our Staff Correspondent

JAIPUR AUG. 6 . The post-harvest losses of vegetables and fruits in the country, which amount to a staggering Rs. 50,000 crores annually, can be minimised by utilising the technological options available now in the fields of handling, management and preservation.

The technological aspect of controlling the post-harvest losses and the nature and causes of these losses have been identified in an ongoing five-day training programme on "Post-harvest management and marketing activities of fruits and vegetables'' at the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM) in Sanganer, near here.

The Deputy Director of NIAM, J.S. Yadav, cited a report prepared by the doyen of Indian agricultural sciences, M.S. Swaminathan, and a study conducted by the Central Government's Department of Science and Technology during the past decade, stating that the losses in certain fruits and vegetables ranged between 30 and 40 per cent at the post-harvest stage.

The reasons for the losses include poor storage, inefficient transportation, lack of infrastructure and inadequacy of the marketing set-up. According to an estimate, these losses are to the tune of Rs. 50,000 crores annually.

The Course Director, Arvind Mathur, pointed out that the recent developments in the post-harvest handling, management and preservation technologies had largely helped improve the shelf life and quality of horticultural produce. He said this would fetch higher value and better economic returns on investment.

Dr. Yadav said the country required 10.2-crore tonnes of vegetables and 4.4-crore tonnes of fruits per day, according to an estimate made during 2000. "The Indian Council of Medical Research has recommended consumption of 280 grams of vegetables and 120 grams of fruits per capita per day,'' he said.

The WTO and its implications for the horticulture sector were also discussed in detail during the programme.

It was pointed out that India had a great potential in the export of horticulture products, as it was the second largest producer of vegetables with a 10 per cent share in the world crops.

Most of the 21 persons attending the training programme are officials of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees and Boards of neighbouring Gujarat.

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