The Hindu Business Line : Post harvest crop loss put at Rs 50k cr

NEW DELHI: India is losing food items worth a whopping Rs 50,000 crore every year due to poor post-harvest handling of farm produce, a development that analysts say may jeopardise the Centre's plan to formulate a food security law, especially in view of a “below-normal” monsoon.

“The level of wastage of agricultural food items is estimated to be about Rs 50,000 crore (a year), occurring at various stages of handling after harvesting,” Food Processing Minister Mr Subodh Kant Sahai said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Mon day.

The minister blamed “fragmented farming, provisions in the Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development & Regulation) Act, lack of cold chain facilities, transportation, proper storage and processing facilities” for the losses.

Commodity analysts apprehend that the huge crop losses can jeopardise the Centre's plan to enact a food security law, especially at a time when poor monsoon has raised concerns on lower farm production.

“The huge losses of crops (in post-harvest handling) in times of poor monsoon may affect plans to build a food security law. The government needs to take urgent steps to plug loopholes in different areas, including losses at warehouses,” commodity broker age Karvy Comtrade Research Head Aurobindo Prasad said. – PTI

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