Chandigarh : “At present 30 % of the fruits and vegetables across the country get spoiled and wasted. To prevent this spoilage, there is a dire need to enhance the post harvest infrastructure and management systems in India to ensure year round storage and consumption of apples. Apples form an important component of the economies of the hill states like HP, J &K and Uttarakhand with 70 % of the population being dependent on apples”, highlighted Mr C N Dhar, Chairman CII Himachal Pradesh State Council at the Conference on Enabling International Standards for Post Harvest Management of Apples” organized by CII as part of Agro Tech 2012 at Hotel Shivalik view, Chandigarh, today.
He appreciated the HP Government’s Rs 85 Crore ‘Apple Replantation Project’ to replace old and low yielding varieties with more productive and high quality varieties of apple root stocks, as an important initiative for the state apples growers.
Mr Neelkant Bakshi, Managing Director, Packolabel Systems Pvt Ltd – NABARD is doing a study for the Government of Jammu & Kashmir on the role of Public Private Participation (PPP) for setting up Model Pack houses. If implemented, it will prove to be a critical step for the horticulture rich state.”In the post harvesting scenario, apple growers face a host of problems which are well identified. In fact, the recent bumper crop has demonstrated severe limitations of post harvesting managements. If the farmers do not perceive gains in the face of bumper crop, it would hamper their efforts in increasing the productivity”, he added.
The growers have to be assisted at different stages of cultivation along with the provision of state of art grading packing pre cooling and transporting infrastructure. New Technologies for increasing productivity and post harvest management are on the anvil. Implementing emerging technologies requires complex protocols and there is a critical role to play between the technology providers and the growers and create business opportunities for them concomitant with facilitating in availing credit from the financial institutions.
Dr Luca Montanari, Vice President UINTEC S.p.A, Italy shared that “The key to successful post harvest management lies in adapting solutions and technology to the specific regional needs and requirements of the apple growers”.
Mr J P Negi, IAS (Retd), Government of Himachal Pradesh felt that “The need is to adapt and replicate the high density apple plantation methods, popular in Europe and US, in the region of Himachal Pradesh to increase the productivity & yield of apples”.
Ms Barbara Guidi, Chief Coordinator, CERMAC Group, Italy highlighted that “Commitment to technological innovation & constant research in pre & post harvest management of fruits & vegetables is important for producing high quality products.
Mr C R Abuvarajan, Manager, NABARD Punjab Region iterated that “NABARD has a whole gamut of schemes for the agri sector ranging from rural infrastructure, agriculture marketing, poultry farmers to rural households.