Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 17
Horticultural crops like fruits and vegetables are highly perishable and their losses are estimated at 35-40% due to improper Post Harvest Management (PHM) practices which amounts to a loss estimated at Rs. 40,000 crores per year as per the 11th Finance Commission report.
“This is not only loss of produce of crores of rupees but also wastage of labour, energy and inputs involved in production,” said the annual administrative report 2016-17 of Nagaland state’s horticulture department.
With a view to prevent wastage and turn them into riches, the department had established a small scale Fruit Processing Unit at Nukshiyim village under Mokokchung district in 2016 where production of processed products like pineapple squash, passion fruit squash etc has already started and hit the market.
The report stated that the unit is run by the Sendenlar Self Help Group who were also imparted training on the various processes involved in the production of squash and other processed products besides providing them with processing equipments and chemical preservatives.
“We do hope to inspire many such SHGs and entrepreneurs to come forward and enter into the foray of food processing for a strong and economically sound society,” the report added.
