HomeContact Site map   Google    www    iipm think tank
   
   
  Home > Under Cover > National > Not so hot any longer   
   
     
   Case Studies  
       
  Marketing    
  Human Resource    
  Information Technology    
  Finance    
  Strategy    
       
 
     
   Industries  
       
  Steel    
  Glass    
  Banking    
  Prophylactic    
  Auto    
  Hospitality    
  Energy    
       
 
     
   Other links  
       
  IIPM    
  Planman Consulting    
  Planman Marcom    
  Planman Technologies    
  Daily Indian Media    
  Planman Financial    
  4P's Business and Marketing    
  Business and Economy    
  The Daily Indian    
  The Sunday Indian    
  Arindam Chaudhuri    
  GIDF    
       
 
  
         
National
  
I N D I A : H O T I C U L T U R E
Not so hot any longer
The fruit is not so sweet in this untapped and ignored sector

Though India is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits (China being the largest producer), about 30% vegetables and fruits grown in India get wasted annually. Nearly 40 million tons of vegetables and fruits, valued at $13b, are wasted every year, which is equal to the total consumption of vegetables and fruits in the UK.

India is blessed with a diverse climate, which enables different types of fruits and vegetables to be cultivated. India produces 11% of vegetables and 15% of fruits in the world. India has the best climate and cultivable land and substantial manpower. Most surprisingly, the country contributes 1.7% to the global export in vegetables and 0.5% in fruits. India’s food exports are a mere $6b, against the world total of $440b last year.

Fruits and vegetables like Mango, Litchi, Banana, Potato, Cabbage, Tomato, etc. are perishable. To sustain a better quality of produce, modern storage facilities, delivery mechanism and technology are required, which unfortunately India lacks. States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have sub-standard cold storages, which store perishable food items over long periods of time. Large warehouses are located at towns, which cater to the districts nearby.

India is the world’s largest mango producer at more than 10.50 million metric tonnes, while export is to the tune of circa 50,000T, whereas Brazil exported 1,13,758T and Mexico is the largest exporter of fresh mangoes at 2,07,000T. The crux of the matter here is that the industry lacks official patronage. What is required is awareness amongst farmers about commercial viability, better delivery mechanism and adequate warehousing or cold storage capacities through public-private partnerships. The question that still remains unanswered is that are our policy makers looking at these issues closely, as is required.

Sray Agarwal & Akram Haque


  
 
 
       
Home | Scrutiny | Publications | About us | Contact us
Copyright @2010 iipm think tank. All rights reserved.