Ministry of Food Processing Industries- India Takes Steps to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses -Elvowire

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries in India has been taking several steps to boost the development of the food processing sector and to reduce post-harvest losses. The ministry commissions studies from time to time to estimate these losses in various agri-produces in the country.

Two studies were recently commissioned by the ministry through the Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology (ICAR-CIPHET) and NABARD Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd (NABCONS), which estimated the post-harvest losses in pulses to be between 5.65% to 8.41%.

In line with the efforts to reduce post-harvest losses, the ministry has implemented several schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to create post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities. The aim of these schemes is to enhance value addition and boost the overall development of the food processing sector.

The Creation/Expansion of Food Processing /Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) scheme of PMKSY has approved five units for pulses processing, out of which three have been completed, and two are under implementation. The details of the approved units are available in the annexure provided by the Ministry.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries believes that the creation of post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities will help reduce the wastage of agri-produces and increase the value addition, thereby benefitting the farmers and the economy.

This information was provided by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, and it highlights the government’s efforts to boost the food processing sector and reduce post-harvest losses in India.