Lok Sabha Question No. 1872 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-01
Subject: Spoilage of Fruits and Vegetables
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: S. Gnanathiraviam, Ramesh Chandra Majhi

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1872

ANSWER ON 01.08.2023

## SPOILAGE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

## 1872.  SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S.: SHRI RAMESH CHANDRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any national level data about the volume of fruits and vegetables which go waste in the absence of processing infrastructure and if so, the details thereof, State-wise, for the last three years;
- (b) whether the Government is taking any concrete steps to address the aforesaid issue and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  any  new  mechanism  related  to  processing  and  adequate  storage  infrastructure  have  been developed in the country to stop rotting of ripening fruits and vegetables and if so, the details thereof along with its results during the last three years; and
- (d) the details of funds allocated and utilized for this purpose during the said period, scheme and year-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

- (a):  The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India estimates harvest and postharvest losses from time to time for various agri-produces in the country through commissioning of studies based on primary surveys. Two studies were commissioned by the Ministry through:
- (i)  Indian  Council  of  Agriculture  Research  (ICAR)  -Central  Institute  of  Post-Harvest  Engineering  & Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana on 'Assessment of Quantitative Harvest and Post-Harvest Losses of Major Crops and Commodities in India', 2015; and
- (ii) NABARD Consultancy Service Pvt. Ltd (NABCONS) on 'Study to Determine Post-Harvest Losses of Agri Produces in India', 2022.

The estimated percentage of harvest and post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables is as follows:

| Commodities   | Estimated Percentage Loss       | Estimated Percentage Loss   |
|---------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Commodities   | As per ICAR-CIPHET Study (2015) | As per NABCONS study (2022) |
| Fruits        | 6.70-15.88                      | 6.02-15.05                  |
| Vegetables    | 7.32-12.44                      | 4.87-11.61                  |

No  state-specific  estimates  of  harvest  and  post-harvest  losses  for  agricultural  produce  including  fruits  & vegetables have been captured in the study.

- (b) & (c): In order to ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries in the country including that of fruits and vegetables, MoFPI implements Central Sector Umbrella Scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana  (PMKSY),  since  2016-17,  Production  Linked  Incentive  Scheme  for  Food  Processing  Industry (PLISFPI), since 2021-22 and Centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, since 2020-21.The objective of these schematic interventions is to increase the  level  of  processing  and  preservation  of  agri-produce  including  that  of  fruits  and  vegetables  thereby reducing the wastage/rotting of the fruits and vegetables.
- (d): The details of the fund allocated and utilized under these schemes is as below:

| Scheme   | 2020-21    | 2020-21     | 2021-22    | 2021-22     | 2022-23    | 2022-23     |
|----------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|
| Scheme   | Allocation | Expenditure | Allocation | Expenditure | Allocation | Expenditure |
| PMKSY    | 750        | 667.05      | 791        | 713.5       | 673        | 561.92      |
| PMFME    | 400        | 394.59      | 399        | 289.85      | 290        | 274.76      |
| PLISFPI  | 0          | 0           | 10         | 7.38        | 801        | 489.83      |

Rupees in Crore

*****