India loses 25 to 50 pc of fruits and vegetables and 10 to 30 pc of grains worth Rs 60k crore per year : CFTRI Expert
Hyderabad, June 6 (FN Agency) Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Senior Principal Scientist K. Sathiyamala, on Thursday, said India loses 25 to 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables, 10 to 30 percent of the grains and oil seeds in the post-harvest chain. These losses translate to a whopping monetary loss worth Rs 60,000 crore per year Sathiyamala said while addressing a Workshop on “Opportunities in Food Processing” organized by FTCCI here. In India, the annual consumption of value-added food alone is greater than Rs 2.25,000 crore per year, she said. CFTRI has introduced many innovative food products such as sugar cane powder, egg cubes similar to paneer, millet noodles, chicken, mutton, and fish wafers, the Scientist said.
The workshop was inaugurated by FTCCI President Meela Jayadev and Dr. S.V.N. Vijayendra, Head & Sr. Principal Scientist, CFTRI. Speaking on the occasion, Meela Jayadev said the food processing sector plays a vital role in our economy by creating value addition to agricultural products. agriculture and industry are interdependent and value addition to agri products is key to economic growth. With India’s transition from a food-scarce to a food-surplus nation, the opportunities within this sector have expanded significantly. However, it is estimated that 40 percent of agri produce is getting wasted because of a lack of even primary processing facilities with the farmers. CFTRI is doing commendable work in developing technologies for processing at affordable cost, Meela said. This workshop is aimed at creating awareness of the services and support given by the CFTRI and the workshop helps you in understanding the nuances of food processing and preservation, Meela added.
Dr Vijayendra said Today’s workshop is designed to create awareness of CFTRI services in food technology and preservation and encourage prospective entrepreneurs to take the first step. Chandra Mohan, the Committee chair of the Food Processing Committee of FTCCI said The CFTRI is pioneering food technologies in the country through its research activities. They support the prospective entrepreneurs to begin food processing units from a very small scale to large scale production. In the food processing industry, the preservation and shelf life of the products is key to success, he added.. Several leading experts from CSIR-CFTRI shared their knowledge and experiences in the workshop. Around 150 people participated in the workshop.