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India's post-harvest fruit and vegetable losses are over Rs 2 lakh crore annually, owing to inadequate cold storage facilities and lack of proper food processing units, a study has said.
Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities and about 30% of them produced in the country are rendered unfit for consumption due to spoilage after harvesting, an Assocham study said.
It said among the states which witness maximum number of post-harvest losses, West Bengal ranks at first position with losses worth Rs 13,600 crore each year, followed by Gujarat with losses to the tune of about Rs 11,400 crore, Bihar at more than Rs 10,700 crore, Uttar Pradesh at Rs 10,300 crore and Maharashtra at Rs 10,100 crore, the study added.
"Lack of proper storage facility is responsible for wastage of substantial quantities of fruits and veggies produced in the country which can be prevented to a great extent," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
The magnitude of post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables can be minimised by proper cultural operations, harvesting, transportation, storage, pre and post-harvest treatments and other such significant measures, he added.
Besides, the study said the storage and handling conditions need to be enhanced to bring down post-harvest losses and promote increased productivity.
The study said there is an additional requirement of cold storage of about 370 lakh tonnes for fruits and vegetables. At present, the country's total storage capacity is over 300 lakh tonnes.
