Challenges and Opportunities of Fruits and Vegetables Processing Industry in India

Abstract

The food processing industry is one of the 25 sectors identified to advance the 'Make in India' campaign. India's agricultural base is quite strong but wastage is very high and processing of food products is very low. Food processing is the methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or food into other forms for consumption based on local raw material and indigenous knowledge and skill of the people. The country's processing sector is small and processing of food to consumable standards in India has reached only 10% recently and with the help of Make in India campaign the food processing sector will aim to raise their growth level from 10% to 25%. India's share in exports of processed food in World trade has remained at about 1.5 percent or $3 .2 billion. One of the important sub-sectors of food processing is fruits and vegetable processing. The study examines the challenges and opportunities of Fruits and vegetables processing industry which has many promising dynamics which supports the potential for growth of this industry. The study is based on secondary data analysis. It revealed that availability of raw materials, infrastructure, government schemes and polices are the prime influencing factors for the establishment of sector and lack of finance, shortage of power, inadequate post harvest technology and facility, poor infrastructure facilities constitute very serious problems so there is an urgent need to provide facilities for development. This paper is tried to analyze the challenges and opportunities of fruits and vegetables processing industry, with certain specific objectives like the study of influencing factors on the growth of fruits and vegetables processing sector and identification of problems with remedial measures. Proper training should be given in some areas with perfect involvement of entrepreneur and resource persons at adequate place and objectives. Moreover awareness raising activities should be undertaken. The time has come for the industry to mature and become global player of processed food industry and must take full benefits and advantage of Make in India campaign to grow.