Post harvest management needs attention

Policymakers need to focus on to increase the processing level from the current 10%

To enable farmers realise the value of agriculture, there is a need to focus on post Harvest management such as agri logistics, processing and marketing, said Dr Ashok Dalwai, Chairman, Committee on Doubling of Farmers’ Income and Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He was speaking at the session on ‘Packaging to unpack Agriculture Value’ at the CII Annual Session 2019.

He added that to expand markets, there is need to link agriculture to industry, both agro and non-agro, and make it a sustainable economic activity.

Suresh Narayanan, Chairman, CII National Committee on Food Processing and Chairman & Managing Director, Nestle India Ltd highlighted the key elements that policymakers need to focus on to increase the processing level from the current 10%. These include building the right ecosystem, infrastructure, food processing, and demand for quality and nutritious food.

Vinita Bali, Chairperson, CII National Committee on Nutrition mentioned that the first priority should be to stop wastage of produce. She said staple food fortification has the potential to tackle the challenge of macro and micro nutrient deficiencies in India. CII National Committee on Nutrition is actively working on this area.