“Identification of Appropriate Postharvest Technologies for Improving Market Access and Incomes for Small Farmers in Sub

1. “Identification of Appropriate Postharvest Technologies for Improving Market Access and Incomes for Small Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia” Commodity Systems Assessment Sunil Saran Amity International Centre for Post harvest Technology & Cold Chain Management

2. CSAM Problem Identification & Solution • Identification and description of the problem • Pitfalls in problem analysis • Over-reliance on readily available literature • Over dependence on a few national technicians • Focus on few disciplines instead of overall approach • Timing of project implementation • Biased nature of specialties • Identification and formulation of the solution • Execution of the solution Problem Identification Formulation of solution Solution execution Note- The key to problem solution is proper problem identification

3. Components of the project • Components of CSAM • The 25 components are grouped into 4 categories- • Pre production • Production • Post Harvest • Marketing

4. Crops selected for study • Fruit crops • Mango • Litchi • Guava • Banana • Vegetable crops • Cauliflower • Cabbage • Okra • Brinjal • Cucurbits • Potato • Onion • Tomato

5. Government Policies • Various incentives and subsidies ranging from production to post harvest management are provided by National Horticulture Mission (NHM), National Horticulture Board (NHB), State Department of Horticulture , Agricultural & Processed Product Export Development Authority (APEDA) etc. • Small & Marginal farmers are not able to avail these subsidies • Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee has issued a detailed list of banned pesticides but their usage is continuing (e.g.. Calcium carbide in Mango) • There is no existing price support & control.

6. Facilitating Services • Government Agencies through KVKs , Extension workers, Farmer visits, Farm demonstrations and Fairs provide information on modern technology but nearly 60 % of farmer households in India are not able to access any source of information on modern technology as depicted in the tables:

10. Availability of Planting Material • Although good quality seeds are available from various sources, their use is limited. • If improved seeds/planting material are provided to all the farmers it would greatly augment production. • The table shows the percentage of farmer households using improved seeds

12. Farmers’ Cultural Practices • Irrigation, Weed Control, Fertilization Practices and Field Sanitation affect production directly but their applications are not Uniform • Irrigation : The figures provided by National Commission on Agriculture show that during summer season 42 % and during winter 56 % of farm areas are under irrigation. • Irrigation is done mostly by flooding. Basin and drip methods are uncommon. Canal Irrigation Tube-well Irrigation

13. Irrigation

14. Farmers’ Cultural Practices Contd…. • Weed Control Weeding Banana farm Tomato field

15. Fertilization Practices

16. Fertilization Practices

17. Use of Pesticide Pesticide spraying Gloves used for harvesting

18. Use of trellis system in Cucurbits • Although using trellis (Machan) in cultivation of cucurbits, production is nearly three times more as compared to ground-cultivated, but because of high cost of trellis construction (Rs. 30,000/acre), most farmers grow cucurbits on ground. Bottle gourd on ground Sponge gourd on ground Sponge gourd on trellis

19. Pruning Practices • In fruit crops like mango , litchi and guava , rejuvenation of old orchard is essential but this is not being followed to the extent required. • Pruning , thinning and canopy management are also neglected • In Litchi the top is cut-back only in old trees when yield goes down considerably. Normally pruning is done at the time of harvesting in which a portion of branch is removed along with the fruits. New fruits appear on such pruned branches. • Training, pruning and canopy management in mango, litchi and guava help in increasing the quality of fruit as well as yield . Hence, these are essentially required in orchard management. Litchi showing vegetative growth in the 2nd year after top cut-back

20. Harvesting Litchi Mango Potato Tomato Okra Cabbage • Harvesting Cauliflower Banana Sponge gourd

21. Sorting and Grading Litchi Peas Onion Potato Mango Tomato • Sorting and Grading Guava Okra Brinjal

22. Packaging CFB Basket Wooden Poly net sack Gunny bag Cloth bundle Partitioned CFB with liner • Packaging Used fertilizer bag Plastic Crates

23. Transport Rickshaw Head load Mini truck Truck Mule Bullock cart • Transport Tractor Push cart Horse cart

24. Marketing Current Status of Fruit & Vegetable Markets Farmers Itinerant Traders Assembly markets Packing House Wholesale markets Sub wholesalers Exports Super Markets Retail Markets Retail shops Institutions C O N S U M E R S

25. Marketing • Marketing Wholesale Marketing On farm Marketing Wholesale Marketing Retail Marketing

26. Losses During Harvest & Handling

27. Losses at Retailers’ Level

28. Storage Stored banana kept cool by ice slabs

29. Income & Consumption

30. Income & Consumption contd…

31. Research Needs • Exact fertilization dosages to be worked out combining with NPK+FYM+Neem Cake+ Rapeseed Cake+ Azotobacteralong with spacing • Standardize : • - use of growth regulators • - use of micronutrients • - postharvest management protocols • Farm sanitation and pesticide load on crops • Application of deoiledalcholic extract of sal seeds for control of Alternaria. • Low cost – Low technology food processing • Management and Utilization of fruit and vegetable waste • Integrated Postharvest Management (100% utilization of the produce)

32. Extension /Training Needs • Providing shade on farm for collection, sorting, grading and packaging of produce • Establishment of Zero Energy Cool Chambers of various capacities • Low cost technology for processing tomato concentrate, juice and puree • Solar drying of vegetables • Standardization of cling film packaging • Standardization of technology for packaging in plastic crates with liners • Preparation of different types of organic manures, biopesticide and fungicides • Organic and mineral value addition of site specific crop residues for enrichment of nitrogen , phosphorous and sulphur, its optimization and technology dissemination to farmers

33. Advocacy Issues • Training women farmers in land, water management and modern farming practices. • Establishment of village extension services and Self Help Groups. • Building effective marketing linkages • Food processing and storage facilities to be established near the farm • Linking small & marginal farmers with processing industries. • Amendment in APMC Act- Delays, Bottlenecks, Vested interests etc. perpetrated by various agencies to be exposed • Bank loans to be made more accessible to marginal and small farmers • Use of GIS and remote sensing to forewarn farmers on impending weather disasters.