Lok Sabha Question No. 2460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-02
Subject: Wastage of Agricultural Products
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DHARMENDRA YADAV, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2460 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02/01/2018

## WASTAGE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

## 2460.  SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV: DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

(a) whether the CIPHET has reported that the annual food wastage in the country is more than the annual national foodgrain production of a number of countries including Britain and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether  the  value  and  volume  of  such  wasted  food  items  in  the  country  is  two third of the amount spent under National Food Security Programme and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is formulating any policy to reduce the wastage of food items in the country, if so, the details thereof and the time by which the policy is likely to be implemented;

(d) whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  set  up  a  new  institution  with  publicprivate partnership for sale, purchase and storage of pulses and if so, the details including the objectives thereof along with the name of the State where this institute is likely to be set up; and

(e) whether the Government has constituted any committee in this regard and if so, the  details  thereof  and  the  time  by  which  final  decision  is  likely  to  be  taken  in  this regard?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) Based  on  the  recommendations  of  the  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on Agriculture, the first study on estimation of post-harvest losses was conducted by ICARCIPHET in 106 districts of the country during 2005-07. The survey was undertaken with respect to 46 crops and commodities comprising 5 cereals, 4 pulses, 6 oilseeds, 8 fruits, 8

vegetables,  8  plantation  crops  and  spices,  6  livestock  produce  and  jaggery.  A  second study (repeat study) was conducted during the years 2012-2015.

The post-harvest losses according to this study are described in the Table below:

|   S.N. | Crops                      | Post-harvest loss * (% range)   |
|--------|----------------------------|---------------------------------|
|      1 | Cereals                    | 4.65-5.99                       |
|      2 | Pulses (Gram, tur &others) | 6.36-8.41                       |
|      3 | Oilseeds                   | 3.08-9.96                       |
|      4 | Fruits                     | 6.70-5.88                       |
|      5 | Vegetables                 | 4.58-2.44                       |
|      6 | Plantation crops           | 4.17-4.91                       |
|      7 | Spices                     | 1.18-6.51                       |

The  stages  considered  for  assessment  of  losses  were harvesting,  collection, threshing, grading/sorting, winnowing / cleaning, drying, packaging, transportation, and storage depending upon the commodity. Over eating and wastage at consumer level were not parts of this study.

As India is a leading producer of agricultural commodities, even a small loss is huge in quantity which even exceeds production of small countries.

The  details of the post-harvest loss for  45  commodities  are presented in Annexure-I .

The  grain  available  with  FCI  is  stored  and  preserved  properly.  However  as  the Food  grains  are  perishable  commodity  and  FCI  is  storing/handling  large  quanities  of foodgrains  over  long  periods,  a  small  quantity  (  0.02%  Food  grain  against  Offtake Quantity) becomes Non-issuable/rotten due to various reasons like:-

- i. Transit damages viz enroute damage in wagon/truck due to contamination, wagon roof leakage etc.
- ii. Due to Natural Calamities like Cyclone/flood damages.
- iii. Possibility  of  down  gradation  of  grains  which  are  procured  under  relaxed specifications.
- iv. In  some  cases  due  to  negligence  of  officials/  officers,  for  which      suitable disciplinary  action  against  defaulters,  where  ever  found  guilty,  are  invariably taken.

(b) The volume of post-harvest loss of selected commodities is given in Annexure-I . The economic value of quantitative loss of 45 crops/commodities was calculated to be approx. Rs.92651 crore at average annual prices of 2014 ( Annexure-I ).

(c) A number of post-harvest equipment and technologies have been developed by the institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research and State Agricultural Universities.  Some  of  these  include,  pedal  cum  power  operated  double  screen  grain

cleaner, maize  de-husker  sheller, motorised  soybean  de-huller,  manually  operated groundnut decorticator, TNAU insect trap, metal bins, mini dhal mill, maize degermer, shrink wrapping, evaporative cooling systems, packaging and transportation of perishables, post-harvest treatments for perishables etc. These technologies have helped in checking the post-harvest losses.

Apart  from  this,  ICAR  organizes  training  programs  for  farmers  on  minimizing post-harvest losses of food grains through its network of KVKs.

Recently, ICAR constituted Indian Grain Storage Working Group. This group is engaged in disseminating technologies for reduction in post-harvest losses of food grains and is actively engaged with FCI and other stake holders.

ICAR  has conducted workshops in Delhi, Coimbatore, Bhubaneshwar on scientific practices of grain storage for reduction in post-harvest losses.

ICAR also promotes processing and value addition in rural catchments by agroprocessing centres as it helps in prevention of post-harvest losses.

Further,  ICAR's  All  India  Co-ordinated Research  Project on  Post  Harvest Engineering and Technology, (AICRP on PHET) with 30 Centres in State Agricultural Universities,  ICAR  institutes,  Central  University  and  IIT  are  involved  in  development and popularization of location and crop specific post-harvest technologies.

Indicative list of technologies developed by ICAR-CIPHET and AICRP on PHET is given as Annexure-II .

Food Corporation of India has taken steps to keep the wastages to bare minimum.  These are:

1. Stocks are issued on FIFO Principle.
2. As per FCI Headquarters Instructions, no stocks are stored by FCI on un-scientific (katcha) plinths.
3. A  drive  has  been  launched  to  carry  out  effective  prophylactic  and  curative treatment  of  stocks  and  regular  inspections  are  being  carried  out  to  minimize damage to stocks.
4. Damage Monitoring Cells have been set up at District, Regional and Zonal levels to regularly monitor quality of stocks and reduce damages
5. Government  of  India  has  formulated  a  scheme  called  Private  Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme for construction of covered storage capacity. Under this Scheme,  storage  capacity  is  created  by  private  parties,  CWC,  SWCs  and  other State  Agencies  for  guaranteed  hiring  by  FCI.  Under  PEG  scheme,  as  on 30.11.2017, a capacity of 150.49 lakh MT has been sanctioned/ allotted to private investors,  CWC  and  SWCs.  A  capacity  of  139.67  lakh  MT  has  already  been completed.

6. Government has approved action plan for construction of steel silos in the country for a capacity of 100 LMT in the next four years in 3 phase as per details below:

| Year    | Selection of Silo Operator (LMT)   | Silo Completion (LMT)   |
|---------|------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| 2016-17 | 36.25 LMT(Phase - 1)               | 5 LMT                   |
| 2017-18 | 29.00 LMT(Phase - 2)               | 15 LMT                  |
| 2018-19 | 34.75 LMT(Phase - 3)               | 30 LMT                  |
| 2019-20 |                                    | 50 LMT                  |
| Total   | 100LMT                             | 100LMT                  |

Against the target of 36.25 LMT in the year 2016-17, selection of silo operator for 37.5  LMT  has  been  completed.  Another  1  LMT  has  been  sanctioned  in  the  2017-18. With regard to completion of 5 LMT of silo capacity in the year 2016-17, 4.5 LMT has been completed and 1.75 LMT silos have been completed in 2017-18.

(d) & (e): Government has been maintaining a dynamic buffer stock of upto 20 lakh tonnes of pulses. The Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) has been placed under Department of Consumer Affairs w.e.f. 1 st April, 2016. The fund provides for maintaining a strategic buffer  of  agricultural  commodities  including  pulses  for  calibrated  releases  to  moderate price  volatility,  discourages  hoarding  and  unscrupulous  speculation.  Government  has procured  20.50  lakh  tonnes  of  pulses,  out  of  which  16.71  lakh  tonnes  was  procured domestically and 3.79 lakh tonnes was imported. As on 21.12.2017, 17.05 lakh tonnes of pulses  was  available  in  the  buffer  after  disposal  of  3.45  lakh  tonnes.  Under  the  Price Stabilization  Fund  (PSF),  procurement  of  pulses  for  central  buffer  is  undertaken  at market  prices  or  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs),  whichever  is  higher  besides supplementation through imports.

In addition to PSF, to protect the interest of the farmers, Government implements Price Support Scheme (PSS) for procurement of pulses through Central Nodal Agencies at the MSP wherein State Agencies play a major role. This scheme is implemented at the request  of  the  concerned  State  Governments,  which  agree  to  exempt  the  procured commodities from levy of mandi tax , assist procurement Agencies in logistic arrangements  including  gunny  bags,  provide  working  capital  for  State  Agencies  and creation  of  revolving  fund  for  PSS  operations  etc.  as  required  under  the  Scheme guidelines. The basic objectives of PSS are to provide remunerative prices to the growers for    their produce    with a view to encourage higher    investment and production and to safeguard the interest of consumers by making available supplies at reasonable price with low cost of intermediation.

*******

## Annexure-I [Part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha USQ No.2460 for 02/01/2018]

Table 1: Estimated monetary value of post-harvest losses

| S. No.      | Crop/ Commodity   | Production (million tonnes)   | Price (Rs/ tonne)   | Over all total loss (%)   |   Monetary Value of the losses (Rs. Crore) | Sectoral total loss (Rs. Crores)   |
|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 1           | Paddy             | 104.40                        | 17918               | 5.53                      |                                      10344 | 20698                              |
| 2           | Wheat             | 92.46                         | 17309               | 4.93                      |                                       7882 |                                    |
| 3           | Maize             | 22.23                         | 12662               | 4.65                      |                                       1309 |                                    |
| 4           | Bajra             | 8.74                          | 12666               | 5.23                      |                                        579 |                                    |
| 5           | Sorghum           | 5.28                          | 18456               | 5.99                      |                                        584 |                                    |
| 6           | Pigeon Pea        | 3.07                          | 49028               | 6.36                      |                                        958 | 3877                               |
| 7           | Chick Pea         | 8.88                          | 32838               | 8.41                      |                                       2453 |                                    |
| 8           | Black Gram        | 0.83                          | 48159               | 7.07                      |                                        282 |                                    |
| 9           | Green Gram        | 0.46                          | 60912               | 6.60                      |                                        184 |                                    |
| 10          | Mustard           | 7.82                          | 34820               | 5.54                      |                                       1508 | 8278                               |
| 11          | Cottonseed        | 3.49                          | 32275               | 3.08                      |                                        347 |                                    |
| 12          | Soybean           | 14.68                         | 36984               | 9.96                      |                                       5405 |                                    |
| 13          | Safflower         | 0.10                          | 26260               | 3.24                      |                                          8 |                                    |
| 14          | Sunflower         | 0.58                          | 32576               | 5.26                      |                                         99 |                                    |
| 15          | Groundnut         | 4.75                          | 31769               | 6.03                      |                                        911 |                                    |
| 16          | Apple             | 1.90                          | 68078               | 10.39                     |                                       1341 | 16644                              |
| 17          | Banana            | 27.06                         | 18601               | 7.76                      |                                       3903 |                                    |
| 18          | Citrus            | 11.47                         | 14011               | 9.69                      |                                       1557 |                                    |
| 19          | Grapes            | 2.52                          | 44564               | 8.63                      |                                        969 |                                    |
| 20          | Guava             | 2.62                          | 20628               | 15.88                     |                                        858 |                                    |
| 21          | Mango             | 17.29                         | 45355               | 9.16                      |                                       7186 |                                    |
| 22          | Papaya            | 5.19                          | 16023               | 6.70                      |                                        557 |                                    |
| 23          | Sapota            | 1.50                          | 18770               | 9.73                      |                                        273 |                                    |
| 24          | Cabbage           | 8.53                          | 10928               | 9.37                      |                                        874 | 14842                              |
| 25          | Cauliflower       | 7.79                          | 16321               | 9.56                      |                                       1214 |                                    |
| 26          | Green Pea         | 3.87                          | 33698               | 7.45                      |                                        971 |                                    |
| 27          | Mushroom          | 0.04                          | 119049              | 9.51                      |                                         46 |                                    |
| 28          | Onion             | 16.66                         | 16920               | 8.20                      |                                       2312 |                                    |
| 29          | Potato            | 41.09                         | 16649               | 7.32                      |                                       5008 |                                    |
| 30          | Tomato            | 17.85                         | 16510               | 12.44                     |                                       3666 |                                    |
| 31          | Tapioca           | 7.32                          | 22436               | 4.58                      |                                        751 |                                    |
| 32          | Arecanut          | 0.53                          | 182865              | 4.91                      |                                        475 | 9325                               |
| 33          | Black pepper      | 0.05                          | 570547              | 1.18                      |                                         35 |                                    |
| 34          | Cashew            | 0.75                          | 76026               | 4.17                      |                                        239 |                                    |
| 35          | Chilli            | 1.31                          | 64411               | 6.51                      |                                        547 |                                    |
| 36          | Coconut           | 15.09                         | 28587               | 4.77                      |                                       2058 |                                    |
| 37          | Coriander         | 0.53                          | 80506               | 5.87                      |                                        249 |                                    |
| 38          | Sugarcane         | 338.96                        | 2100                | 7.89                      |                                       5614 |                                    |
| 39          | Turmeric          | 0.98                          | 24845               | 4.44                      |                                        108 |                                    |
| 40          | Egg               | 69.70                         | 2634                | 7.19                      |                                       1320 | 18987                              |
| 41          | Inland Fish       | 5.74                          | 125306              | 5.23                      |                                       3766 |                                    |
| 42          | Marine Fish       | 3.28                          | 125306              | 10.52                     |                                       4315 |                                    |
| 43          | Meat              | 1.30                          | 350000              | 2.71                      |                                       1235 |                                    |
| 44          | Poultry meat      | 3.90                          | 150000              | 6.74                      |                                       3942 |                                    |
| 45          | Milk              | 132.40                        | 36000               | 0.92                      |                                       4409 |                                    |
| Grand Total | Grand Total       | Grand Total                   |                     |                           |                                      92651 | 92651                              |

Source: Jha S N, Vishwakarma RK, Ahmad T, Rai A and Dixit AK (2015). Report on assessment of quantitative harvest and post-harvest losses of major crops and commodities in India. ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on PostHarvest Technology, ICAR-CIPHET, P.O-PAU-Ludhiana- 141004

## Technologies developed by ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana since inception

## Post-harvest Equipment / machines, tools and storage structures

1. Automatic Custard Apple Pulper
2. Automatic Litchi Peeler
3. Ber Fruit Grader
4. Castor De-podder and Decorticator
5. CIPHET-Aonla Pricking machine
6. CIPHET- Banana-comb Cutter
7. CIPHET-Cryogenic spice grinding system
8. CIPHET-Tomato Grader
9. CIPHET-Pomegranate Aril Extractor
10. CIPHET Fruit collector cum grader for saving of fruits
11. Fish Descaling Machine
12. Fish Processing Table cum Retail Sales Unit
13. Guar Seed Dehulling Machine and Process for Dehulling
14. Groundnut pod Decorticator
15. Groundnut pod grader
16. Hand Tool for Easy Separation of Arils from Pomegranate
17. Lotus seed decorticator
18. Low cost fish descaling hand tool
19. Low Cost Tray Dryer Having a Unique Design of Plenum Chamber
20. Mechanized System for popping and decortications of Makhana seeds (Gorgon Nut, Euryale ferox )
21. Mobile iced fish storage and transport chamber
22. Mobile agro processing unit suggested for cleaning, grading, destoning of food grains
23. Pilot Scale Millet Mill
24. Poultry Processing Table for poultry butchers and small poultry meat entrepreneurs and Poultry Slaughter Cone
25. Sunflower De-huller
26. Rotary maize cob sheller
27. Evaporative cooled room (2 ton)
28. Evaporative Cooled structure (5-7 tons)
29. Electric stunner for small animals
30. Ohmic heater for heating solid and liquid foods
31. Cryogenic spice grinder
32. Inclined draper type separator for separation of Berseem and Chicory Seeds
33. Bael/wood apple pulper
34. Carrier system for live fish
35. Root crop peeler
36. Sling animal lifter
37. Animal squeeze chute
38. Buckwheat de-huller
39. Cauliflower stem cutting machine
40. Hand-held mini fish scaler
41. Semi-automatic peeler for kinnow and sweet orange

42. Oat de-huller
43. Dehumidification system for storage of onion in EC room
44. Pneumatic assisted coring device for oblong fruits

## Processes/Products

1. Dried Onion Flakes and Powder
2. Low cost technique for enhancement of shelf life of tomato
3. Method of determining maturity of intact mango in tree
4. Method of Predicting Maturity Stage and Eating Quality of Indian Mangoes using Near Infrared Spectroscopy
5. Modified atmospheric packaging of different vegetables
6. Minimal processing of Vegetables
7. Porous bricks
8. Production of dried ginger flakes & powder and paste.
9. Process technology for pomegranate jelly and grenadine
10. Production of carrot shreds and powder
11. Process for production of beetroot powder
12. Process of manufacturing mix for ready to constitute makhana kheer
13. Processing of Pomegranate and by-product utilization
14. Processing of ber for manufacturing of value added products
15. Processing of Aonla for manufacturing of value added products
16. A new process of oil extraction from Karanj seed ( Pongmia glabra ) through mechanical expression
17. Shrink wrap packaging of fruits and vegetables
18. Sunflower kernel based confectionary products
19. Modified atmospheric packaging of bitter gourd
20. Process for development of probiotic soy yoghurt
21. Starch isolation Process from pearl millet
22. Model for detection of soymilk as an adulterant in milk
23. Model for detection of urea in milk
24. Process protocol for clarified pear juice
25. Process of nutritious protein rich expanded snack food with ripe banana
26. Model for detection of Aflatoxin M1 in milk
27. Process Protocol for making soybean flour mix wadi

## Value added Food products

1. Flax seed based Nutritious Energy bar
2. Groundnut Based Flavoured Beverage, Curd And Paneer
3. Pearl millet Based extrudates,  pasta and weaning mix
4. Pearl millet based ready to reconstitute upma and halwa
5. Green chilli puree and powder
6. Anardana Ready to mix Chutney
7. Blended guava leather/bar
8. Ready to reconstitute mustard (Brassica  juncea ) Saag
9. Cattle feed from Potato Industry waste
10. Value added products from meat
11. Dried beetroot supplemented extrudates
12. Energy efficient Bengal gram S attu making technology
13. Aonla beverage

14. Digestive product from Anardana (Anardana Hazmhazam)
15. Sorghum-soy-blended biscuit
16. Ber preserves
17. Probiotic Peanut Yoghurt
18. Barnyard millet based muffins
19. Fibre rich bread using peanut hull flour
20. Quick cooking wheat dalia
21. Multigrain based high protein extruded products
22. Pearl millet and whey protein concentrate based Porridge
23. Corn based Nutritious Energy bar
24. Barnyard millet based muffins
25. Coarse cereal based nutritious extrudates
26. Protein rich extruded product using de-oiled ground nut cake:
27. Vegetable blended pasta
28. Antioxidant rich pasta utilizing beetroot and groundnut meal.
29. Carrot incorporated protein rich pasta and groundnut meal.
30. Groundnut and capsicum juice based protein and antioxidant rich pasta
31. Protein and minerals rich expanded snack food with spinach
32. Whey protein fortified mango RTS beverage
33. Quality protein maize based muffins
34. Development of nutritious muffins utilizing sunflower meal
35. Moth bean flour incorporated maize flour and chapaties

## List of Technologies/ Machinery/units sold or established by AICRP on PHET in Last Three Years

## (A) Post-harvest tool/equipment developed

-  Pumpkin cherry/tuty-fruity plant (pumpkin cutter, slicer, cuber): 100 kg pumpkin/day
-  Pumpkin seed dehulling
-  Papad cutter
-  Peeler for safedmusli
-  Small capacity amaranth thresher
-  Detacher for Roselle calyces
-  Walnut kernel separation machine
-  Small poultry processing plant
-  Continuous carrot washing machine in collaboration with entrepreneur
-  Apple seed corer (hand operated and paddle operated)
-  Power operated pepper decorticator
-  Equipment for exposing carrots to UV radiations
-  Centrifugal Cashewnut sheller
-  Apple seed corer (hand operated and paddle operated)
-  Apricot stone decorticator and dust separator
-  Power operated pepper decorticator
-  Multimode dryer (designed) for drying of grapes, fig and chilli
-  Continuous solar powered milk sterilizer
-  Continuous low cost turmeric washer
-  Stripping machine for chick pea pod
-  Steam boiling system for production of export quality iggery
-  Mechanized paper sweet making machine for production of iggery fortified paper sweet
-  Tamarind dehulling machine (Two pass multi-rings)
-  Design of 2.5 ton capacity on-farm aeration bin for paddy
-  Amaranthus popping unit
-  Online grading system for mango
-  Carrot de-hairing machines
-  Carrot twig plucker
-  Storage methods/structure for sharif onion
-  Dryer for important spices of North  Eastern States
-  Pineapple harvester suitable for hilly region
-  Gadget for making 'pitha'
-  Modified low cost storage system of iggery
-  Vacuum based tank for iggery
-  Refinement of inbuilt filtration system in
-  Honey comb structured packaging material for fresh fig fruits
-  Walnut dehuller
-  Walnut grader
-  Walnut bleacher-cum-washer
-  Modified wax applicator for coating on passion fruit
-  Modified/Improved maize dehushker-cum-sheller

-  Ginger peeler
-  A prototype green gram depoder-cum-sheller developed

## (B) Design and development of structures

-  Small scale fruit ripening chamber
-  Rural slaughterhouse
-  Small scale fruit ripening chamber
-  Rural slaughterhouse
-  Small poultry processing plant

## (C) Pilot Plants

-  Pilot plant for extraction of pectin from kinnow peel/waste
-  Pilot  plant  for  producti  on  of  probiotic  and iggery c  juice  from  guava,  kinnow  and mango
-  Pilot plant for solid and liquid iggery
-  Pilot plant for extraction of pectin  from apple pomace
-  Value Chain of ginger primary processing

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