Perspicacity analysis for priority setting in processing and post-harvest sector of vegetables in India

Abstract

The production of fruits and vegetables in India are
growing at compounded annual rates of 5% and 6%,
respectively over the past decade (Singh 2019). So far
as its contribution to Indian economy is concerned, fruits
and vegetables are grown only on 7–8% of gross cropped
area but contribute more than 18.8% of the gross value
of agricultural output and 52% export earnings from total
agricultural produce (Singh 2019). Although, India is the
second largest producer of vegetables and third largest
producer of fruits with annual production of 141 and 80
million tones, respectively, it is estimated that 20 -30
percent of horticultural crop such as fruits and vegetables
perish due to lack of proper methods of processing and
storing. The loss in monetary term is estimated to be
about Rs.20 crores annually. It is also estimated that
only 2% fruits and vegetables produced in our country
is being processed (Singh 2019).