Role of organic and environment friendly post harvest management of organically grown horticultural produces

Abstract

Horticultural crops play a unique role in India’s economy by improving the income of the rural people. Cultivation of these crops is labour intensive and as such they generate lot of employment opportunities for the rural population. Fruits and vegetables are fastest growing sectors within horticulture. India produces around 111.77 million MTs of vegetables and 57.73 million MTs of fruits, which respectively accounts for nearly 11.90% and 10.90% of country’s share in the world production of vegetables and fruits. India ranks second in world in both categories. Since, fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, efficient Post Harvest Management has become an absolute necessity. It is also important for effective exploitation of the export potential of fruits and vegetables. Joint effort of R&D institutions, farmers, government agencies and traders has resulted in India emerging as a major producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. But the magnitude of loss in food grains is to the tune of 10% whereas for fruits and vegetables losses are estimated at 35-40% due to improper Post Harvest Management (PHM) (XI Planning Commission). It amounts to a loss estimated at Rs 40,000 crores per year. In India post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables every year equivalent to the annual consumption of the United Kingdom. So there is need to have a strong post harvest infrastructure for post harvest management of these perishables. Organically grown horticultural products are mainly purchased for their safety and absence of synthetic pesticide residues and others harmful chemicals. So it’s must be more important to management of organic produces after harvesting in such a way, that must be free from human hazards. The aims of organic post harvest management of organically grown fruits and vegetables for prevent senescence and losses of fruits and vegetables after harvest as well as increasing the shelf life and maintaining the quality of organic horticultural produces for better health.