Post-harvest technology / post-harvest management Can be defined as the branch of agriculture that deals with all operations from harvest to pre-harvest until the commodity reaches the consumer, either fresh (cereals, apples, mangoes, tomatoes) fruit) or processed form (flour, juice, nectar, ketchup) and wastes (pomace, rind, seeds, skin etc.) are also used beneficially (manufacture of fermented beverages, color extraction, pectin extraction etc.)

Importance of post-harvest technology: – 

Probably the main issue of the world today is to provide nutritious food to about 7.8 billion population in the world. Fruits and vegetables, being a rich source of important nutrients, are an important component of human nutrition. The concerted efforts made in the horticulture sector have resulted in tremendous growth in the production of various fruits and vegetables across the world. In line with the global trend, India has emerged as the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, and 20-40% of this hard-earned valuable produce is wasted due to inadequate management, infrastructure, and under-utilization (1.8%) by the processing industry. Moreover, there is no point in increasing the production if it is not fully utilized. In addition to the quantitative loss, the problem of quality and safety of the product is also important for consumers. Thus the whole scenario reflects a very depressing picture. Unless the post-harvest technology gets its proper recognition and proper development, the horticulture industry cannot thrive.

At present, the world production of fruits and vegetables is 1450 million metric tons (fruit production- 656.48 million metric tons and vegetable production- 794.23 million metric tons). Post-harvest fruit and vegetable losses range from 30 to 40% worldwide, and even higher in some developing countries. It is very important to reduce post-harvest losses; Ensuring that every inhabitant of our planet has enough food in both quantity and quality. There are also possibilities that the world population will increase from 5.7 billion in 1995 to 8.4 billion in 2025. The world production of vegetables was 794 million tonnes, while the production of fruits reached 656 million tonnes. Reducing post-harvest losses lowers the cost of production, trade, and distribution lowers the price for the consumer, and increases the farmer’s income.

While the production of fruits and vegetables in India is 259.3 million metric tonnes. This includes fruit production of 90.2 million metric tons which is about 15% of the world’s production and the second-largest producer in the world after China and vegetable production of 169.1 million metric tons which is about 11% of the world’s production and the second largest after China. But India loses about 30-40% of its product due to improper post-harvest management. Every year India wastes fruits and vegetables equal to the annual consumption of the United Kingdom.

The following points will highlight the importance of post-harvest technology:

• Reduction in post-harvest losses: – Post-harvest technology ensures a reduction in losses of already produced. So; reducing post-harvest losses is an alternative way of increasing the production of agricultural and horticultural crops.
• Reduction of cost of production: – Post-harvest technology reduces the cost of production, packaging, storage, transportation, marketing, and distribution, lowering the price for the consumer and increasing the income of the farmer.
• Reducing malnutrition: – Appropriate post-harvest technology ensures the availability of adequate food to all, thereby reducing malnutrition and ensuring the healthy development of the nation. It also extends the season of availability of a particular commodity.
• Economic loss reduction: –  Minimizes economic losses at the producer level, during the marketing, and at the consumer’s end.
• Availability: –  If there was no knowledge of post-harvest technology, apples would never reach Kerala and bananas would reach Himachal Pradesh or Kashmir. Today we can find perishable commodities like bananas, tomatoes, etc. throughout the year and almost everywhere in the country. Apples can be made available throughout the year, although the harvest season is only for 2-3 months. The increasing export of fruits and vegetables has been made possible by interventions in post-harvest technology.
• Employment generation: –  The food processing industry ranks first in terms of employment generation, employing about 15 lakh people. The potential for employment in the post-harvest and value-addition sector is considered to be very high. Every Rs 1 crore invested in fruit and vegetable processing in the organized sector provides employment to 140 persons per year, while the Small Scale Investment (SSI) units generate employment of only 1050 person-days per year. The SSI unit in the food industry employs 4, 80,000 persons, contributing 13% of all SSI units employed.
• Export earnings: – Export of fresh and processed horticultural commodities also attracts valuable foreign exchange.
• Defense and astronaut’s requirements: –  Defense forces deployed in remote border areas, as well as astronauts traveling in space, have special requirements for ready-to-eat and high-energy low volume food. The requirements are met by the processing industries.
• Infant and sports preparations: – Today special baby and sports drinks and other processed products are available specifically for the use of these people. These products are specially made to meet the specific nutritional needs of their body.