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IICPT views post-harvest losses as deterrent to food processing sector
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Friday, 09 March, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Bangalore
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The Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) is now looking at how post-harvest losses could be detrimental to the growth of food processing in the country. In order to offset a famine situation, the government would need to look for methods to create a second green revolution through a massive drive for value-addition of crops and food processing efforts, the IICPT felt.
“There is an annual estimated loss of around Rs 70,000 crore coming out of the farm-gate level before processing the grains. The actual losses could go up to Rs 4 lakh crore annually if the market processes were considered if these grains were processed, states Dr K Algusundaram, director, IICPT, at the seminar on Appropriate Technologies for Indian Food Processing held here.
“There is need for a second green revolution with a focus on value-addition and processing,” he said. “It was not possible to increase the food production dramatically for various crops as it was not a sustainable process owing to the high cost,” he added.
The only task on hand would be to conserve the food crops that were being lost after harvest through value-addition and food processing. Present estimates indicate that only 6 per cent of the food is processed.
Currently, India’s food production stands at around 600 million tonnes and only 400 tonnes is required to take care of the needs of people and their cattle population. In fact, the requirement could touch around 450 million tonnes, which would include the grains required for the next sowing season, which creates a surplus of around 150 million tonnes, stated the IICPT chief.
It is a paradox that one-third of the population is facing starvation and 40 per cent children suffer from malnutrition.
He said that one of the important challenges was the offer of remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce and pay subsidies. “The issue could be addressed if the processing level and value-addition of agricultural produce could be augmented.”
Employment generation in the food processing sector was higher compared with the other sectors. Even the food processing industry had the potential to provide direct employment to around 3.5 lakh people at an investment of Rs 1,000 crore as against the creation of 48,000 jobs in the textile sector, which was more capital intensive, pointed out Dr K Algusundaram.
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