All Rights Reserved*Corresponding author. Email: wasim_serene@yahoo.comInternational Food Research Journal 21(4): 1271-1277 (2014)Journal homepage: http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my1,*Siddiqui, Md. Wasim, 2Yadav, S. K., 3Dhua, R. S. and 1Ahmad, M. S.1Department of Food Science and Technology, Bihar Agricultural University, BAC, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar (813210) India2Central Soil & Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Sector-27A, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh-160 019 (UT), India3Department of Post Harvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal (741252) IndiaEnsuring food security through golden revolution: prospects, achievements, and bottlenecksAbstractThe horticulture sector pondered as the most dynamic and sustainable segment of agriculture, whichcoverswidespectrumofcrops(fruits,vegetables,fowers,spices,condiments, plantationsetc.).Inclusionofsomeimportantandfastupcominggroupslikemedicinaland aromatic plants, mushroom, bamboo, and bee keeping has further reinforced sustainability to thissector.Shiftingfoodpatterninwakeofincreasingincomeandhealthawarenessofthe populace has transformed Indian Horticulture as a vibrant commercial venture with 5-6 percent annualgrowthrateduringlastdecade. Thissignifcantgrowthundoubtedlyattributedtothe organized and planned horticultural policies under aegis of Golden Revolution. However, this revolution is still seeking a backbone support in the form of effcient post-harvest management system.Inthisarticle,theauthorsgoovertheprosandconsofhorticulturesectorinIndia highlighting the worldwide importance of post-harvest technology and its role for sustainable food safety and security. IntroductionIndiaisbestowedwithvariedsoilandagro-climaticconditions,whichishighlyfavourable forgrowingalargenumberofhorticulturalcrops fromtropicaltotemperatethroughouttheyearand oftentermedasnaturalreservoirofhorticultural biodiversity. Besides, existence of such a favourable biodiversity,ensuringthefoodsecurityforaround 120croresofpopulationisthemajorchallengefor theagriculturalsectorofthecountry.Theagrarian community of the country has effciently exploited this natural endowment and achieved a signifcant leap in horticultural production after post independence with seven times jump. Presentlyhorticulturalcropsoccupyaround 10percentofthegrosscroppedareainIndiaand contributing 12.5 percent and 14.0 percent in worlds fruitandvegetableproductionrespectively(NHB Database-2011). Within the last 19 years (from 1991-92to2010-11),horticulturalcroppedareainIndia has increased from 12.8 million ha to 21.83 million ha and production from 96.6 million tonnes to 240.53 million tonnes, recorded sharp increase of 70.6 percent and 149 percent, respectively (NHB Database-2010-11).Presently,thehorticulturesectorofcountry hasrecordedsignifcantgrowthrateof5-6percent duringlastdecade(Singh,2007)andcontributing morethan29percentinagriculturalGDP(Gross Domestic Product). The credit for outstanding leap in horticulture sector goes to the multi-dimensional but unitedapproachofpolicyplannersandresearchers associatedwithvariousorganizationsespecially National Horticultural Board (NHB), Indian Council ofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR),Agriculturaland ProcessedFoodProductsExportDevelopment Authority(APEDA)andAgriculturalUniversities undertheaegisofMinistryofAgriculture, Government of India (GOI) and marked as Golden Revolution for the country. However, fast increasing population has dimmed theimpactofrevolutioninmitigatingtheprojected problemsi.e.starvation,malnutritionandpoverty. The past efforts in the investment have been rewarding and India is fast emerging as a horticultural hub and reckoned as a leader in the global arena. The projected researchanddevelopmenthasmadequantumjump inproduction,productivity,availability,andexport. Severalnutritionallypotenthorticulturalcropslike kiwi,olive,gherkins,kinnow,oilpalmetc.were also introduced for commercial cultivation. Besides, GoldenRevolutionseveralotherrevolutionsare also going on in India and other countries related to specifc felds (Table 1).KeywordsGolden revolution HorticulturePostharvest loss Postharvest technology Postharvest management NutritionArticle historyReceived: 28 February 2013Received in revised form: 29 January 2014Accepted: 30 January 2014MiniReview1272 Siddiqui et al./IFRJ 21(4): 1271-1277Theworldspopulaceisprojectedat9billion bytheyear2030andmajorityofinfationwillbe confned in the developing countries, where chronic foodshortagesandmalnutritionpersist(Chopra, 2010).Thisprojectedinfationofpopulacewill certainlysqueezedthepercapitaavailabilityof naturalresources,andmayhindertheequilibrium andsustainabilityofagriculturalsystemsdueto overexploitationofnaturalresources,whichwill ultimatelyaggravatethemenacelikepoverty, starvation,malnutritionandincreaseinfoodprices. Regrettably, unlike other horticulture rich countries, average Indians do not get the basic daily requirement of fruits and vegetables and our Human Development Index is very low. This is because a substantial amount of this valuable produce is lost due to improper post harvest management and lack of processing facility. Toachieveourtargetofahungerfreecountryand reduce poverty, prominence needs to be given to loss reduction(post-harvesttechnology)thatisessential tomakeavailablemorefruitsandvegetablesand givebettereconomicreturnfromtheexistinglevel of production.Potential of horticultural crops for ensuring food and nutritional securityHorticulturalcropsformanimportantpartof thedailydietaseffectivenutritionalsupplements andthemostprominentsourcefornutritional security,despitetheirwell-knownsignifcance fromtheeconomicviewpoint(Siddiquietal., 2013a).Itssignifcancefurtheramplifedinthe countrieslikeIndiawheremajorityofpopulation isvegetarianandundernourished.Thefruitand vegetablesectorsofhorticulturearemostpotentto fulflfoodrequirementsofthecountryandelevate thenutritionalandeconomicstatusofpeople (Rana,2010).Ingeneral,antioxidants,vitamins, minerals, and fbres are considered as main nutrients contributed by horticultural crops to a balanced diet, andthusspecialattentionshouldbeaddressedto this group of nutrients (Siddiqui et al., 2013a and b). Higher productivity, wider adoptability towards soil and climatic conditions and lower cost of cultivation makeshorticulturalcropsasanultimatechoicefor sustaininglivelihoodandnutritionalsecuritytoa large section of people in India having very meagre shareoflandholding.Productivityoffruitslike banana(37t/ha),grapes(23.6t/ha),papaya(37.1t/ha), pineapple (16.0 t/ha), and vegetables like potato (18.8 t/ha), onion (16.3 t/ha), cabbage (22.1 t/ha) are much higher than the wheat paddy rotation i.e. only 8t/ha. Theseproductivitieshaveamplepotentialto ensure food security under ever squeezing per capita availability of natural resources (Table 2).Thehorticulturalcropsofferuniqueadvantage to nutritional security as well. Fruits and vegetables providesubstantialamountofnutrients,important forhumanhealthandcanplaysignifcantrolefor improvingthenutritionalintakeespeciallyofpre-dominantly vegetarian population. They are important sourceofmicronutrients,vitamins,mineralsand folicacid(SiddiquiandDhua,2010).Fruitshave provedtobeessentialforabalanceddietasarich source of vitamins, protein, minerals, organic acids, carbohydrates,andantioxidants(Siddiquietal., 2013b). Whereas, the nutritional value of vegetables asavital sourceofessential minerals, vitaminsand dietary fbres has well recognized. Vegetables play an importantroleinhumannutritionasaneutralizing agentforacidsubstancesproducesduringdigestion of high-energy foods (Siddiqui et al., 2013a). Due to theirhighwatercontentandfbre,leafyvegetables androotsprobablyaidindigestionandutilization ofmoreconcentratedfoodinhumandiet(Chopra, 2010). Man needs a wide range of nutrients to perform differentmetabolicfunctionsandtoleadahealthy life and their defciency leads to a number of diseases in children and adults. Fruits and vegetables contain nutraceuticalsubstancesthatprovidesmedicaland healthbeneftsandtheirdailyconsumptionhave been strongly associated with reduced risk for some formsofcancer,heartdisease,stroke,andother Table 1. Major revolutions in India and other countriesRevolution Associated toBlack Revolution Petroleum productionBlue Revolution Fish productionBrown Revolution Leather/non-conventional(India)/CocoaproductionGolden Revolution Overall Horticulture development/ Honey ProductionGolden Fiber Revolution Jute ProductionGreen Revolution Food grain (Cereals, Wheat &Leguminous plant) productionGrey Revolution Fertilizer productionPink Revolution Onion production /Prawn production/Pharmaceutical (India) Red Revolution Tomato/ Meat productionRound Revolution Potato productionSilver Fiber Revolution Cotton productionSilver Revolution Egg/Poultry productionWhite Revolution Milk/Dairy production (In India - Operation Flood)Yellow Revolution Oil Seeds productionEvergreen Revolution Overall Agricultural DevelopmentTable 2. Productivity (t/ha) gap of important horticultural crops (2010-11)CropsProductivity (t/ha) Gap (t/ha)/ Potential for improvement India WorldHighest Potential (Country)FruitsMangoGuavaAppleBananaCitrusGrapesPomegranatePapayaPineapple11.76.612.010.035.98.811.16.939.615.910.97.7 (mango+guava)14.920.817.6 (orange)9.3NA24.722.324.4 (USA)15.8 (Brazil)42.8 (France)59.3 (Indonesia)35.0 (Indonesia)16.3 (U.S.A.)NA85.8 (Indonesia)69.5 (Indonesia)-12.7-9.2-32.8-23.4-26.2-5.2NA-46.2-53.6VegetablesPotatoOnionTomatoBrinjalCabbageCauliflower17.322.714.219.117.521.518.318.817.719.132.825.027.716.9 (cauliflower+ broccoli)37.2 (Spain) 44.3 (U.S.A.)30.3 (Turkey)81.0 (USA)49.2 (Egypt)66.1 (Japan)24.8 (Pakistan)-18.6-21.6-16.1-61.9-31.7-44.6-6.5Spices 1.8Plantation crops 3.6Flowers Loose 5.4Productivity of Horticultural Crops11.0(Source: National Horticulture Board Database-India for the years 2010-11)Siddiqui et al./IFRJ 21(4): 1271-1277 1273chronic diseases (Siddiqui and Dhua, 2010; Siddiqui et al., 2013a and b). Some components of fruits and vegetables(phytochemicals)arestrongantioxidants and function to modify the metabolic activation and detoxifcation/dispositionofcarcinogens,oreven infuence processes that alter the course of the tumour cell. It is better to consume a variety of commodities ratherthanlimitingconsumptiontoafewwiththe highestantioxidantcapacityasitvariesgreatly amongfruitsandvegetables(Kalt,2002).Nutritive constituentsoffruitsandvegetablesthathavea positiveimpactonhumanhealthandtheirsources are present in Table 4.The fruit cropsThe fruit plants have immense ability to withstand various soils and climatic stresses, which make them suitabletorehabilitatedegradedandwastelands, whichareabandonedduetounftforcultivationof cerealandfoodgrains.Indiaisthesecondlargest produceroffruitsafterChinaandcontributes12.5 percentinglobalfruitproduction(Table3)(NHB Database-2011).Thecountryhaswiderangesand varieties of fruits in its basket namely mango, banana, citrus,pineapple,papaya,guava,sapota,jackfruit, litchi, and grape, among the tropical and sub-tropical fruits.Similarly,apple,pear,peach,plum,apricot, almond and walnut count among the temperate fruits. The aonla, ber, pomegranate, annona, fg, phalsa are amongthearidzonefruitsaretheimportantfruit species(Singh,2010).Indiaistheworldslargest producerofmango,banana,sapotaandacidlime. About39.5percentoftheworldsmangosand23 percentofworldsbananaareproducedinIndia. Country has achieved laurels as highest productivity intheworldforbanana,grapes,citrusfruits,litchi, papaya and acid lime (Singh, 2010).Besidesallaboveachievementsinfruit production,theactualpotentialofthecountryhas yet not fully exploited. The major fruit growing belts areconfnedinsubtropicalandtropicalpartsofthe countryandalimitedareahasbeenharnessedin thetemperateregion.Productivityandfruitquality ofseveralfruitcropsinthecountryaremuch below to their actual potential and the losses during harvesting,packing,storing,transportationand marketingareveryhigh,sometimesmorethan30 percent. The poor post harvest handling and lack of adequate infrastructures has signifcantly reduced the per capita availability of fruits, which is merely 70 g/dayagainstthedietaryrecommendationsofWHO, which is 120 g/day (Dhillon, 2005). Very negligible proportion of fruit production is being exported from the country in form of fresh as well as processed fruit products.Thereisamplepossibilitytocover-upthisgap throughintegratedapproachprojectedtoharness maximumproductivitypotentialoffruitcrops througheffcientandsustainableutilizationof naturalresourcesunderprecisionfarmingpractices. TheGovernmentofIndiahasintroducedseveral schemesinformoftechno-fnancialassistancefor thedevelopmentoftissuecultureunits,vegetable seed production farms, protected cultivation, Hi-tech nurseries, rejuvenation of senile orchards, promotion of INM and precision farming, organic farming, bee keeping,mushroomproductionetc.underNational HorticulturalMission.Alltheseprogrammesare projected to increase production of quality fruits and reductioninprocessingandtransportationlosses. This effort have rewarded in terms of increase in fruit production of the country, however the achievement is much below than the actual potential. The harnessed productivityofmajorfruitcropsismuchbelowto their actual potential, which can be further improved through scientifc orchard management.The vegetables cropsVegetablesplayavitalroleinthenutritional securityofIndianpopulacethatisdominantly vegetarian. Its role becomes more pertinent considering themedicinalandprotectiveattributesforvarious diseases. Higher productivity and economic return in vegetablecultivationattractedattentionoffarmers specially small and marginal farmers who are having verysmalllandholdings.Indiaisatreasurehouse of wide vegetable biodiversity, which inhabited 175 types of vegetables including 82 leafy vegetables, and 41root(tuberandbulb)cropscultivatedinvaried agroclimaterangingfromtropicaltotemperate (Singh et al., 2006). However, vegetable sector of the countryismainlyconcentratedinthecultivationof Table 3. A glance of all India area and production of horticultural crops (Area- 000 ha, Production- 000 tonnes)Crop2008-09 2009-10 2010-11Area Production Area Production Area ProductionFruits 6100.90 68465.53 6477.83 73525.51 6383 74878Vegetables 7980.71 129076.78 8214.58 136189.53 8495 146554Spices 2629.40 4144.90 2466.8 4018.7 2940 5350Plantation crops3217.3 11336.4 3258.7 11249.3 3306 12007Flowers LooseCut 166.5 987.4113618.0176.1 1016.850759.0191 103169027Total horticultural crops 20661.6 214715.9 21155.7 226872.1 21825 240531(Source: National Horticulture Board Database 2010-11, India)Table 4. Bioactive substances present in some horticultural cropsCommodity Bioactive substances Commodity Bioactive substancesAonla Vit. C, Polyphenols Beans Genistein, isoflavonoidApple Flavonoids, polyphenols Broccoli Glucosinolate, seleniumCitrus Vit C, bioflavonoids, Chalcone Carrot - carotene, lycopeneGrapes Flavonoid, phenols Chilli Capsaicin, capsinthinStrawberry Flavonoid, phenols Ginger GingerolTomato Lycopene Turmeric CurcuminOnion Quercetin Radish Iso-thiocyanate(Rana, 2010; Ayala-Zavala et al., 2011; Siddiqui et al., 2013b)1274 Siddiqui et al./IFRJ 21(4): 1271-1277potato, onion, tomato, brinjal, okra, peas, cabbage and caulifower, which jointly contributes 66.3 percent to totalvegetableproduction.Potatoalonecontributed 28.9 percent in total vegetable production during year 2010-11 (Table 3) (NHB Database-2011). India is the second largest producer of vegetable and contributed 14 percent to the worlds vegetable production during year 2010-11 (NHB Database-2011) from 8.5 million ha of cultivated area.However, per capita availability at the farm-level is around 210 g/day, compared to the recommended level of 280 g/day (Singh et al., 2006). Datainrespectofthehighestproductivitypotential andactualproductivityofthecountryrevealample potentialforimprovementofproductivitythrough use of quality hybrid seeds under scientifc cultivation practiceslikeprecisionfarming,integratednutrient, and pest management and post harvest value addition to reduce various losses (Table-2). Spices and plantation cropsSpicesarehighvalueandlowvolumeexport orientedcommodities,whichyieldaromaticand pungentprinciplescommonlyusedforfavouring andseasoningoffoodandbeveragesandalsoused in Ayurvedic medicines. India is the centre of origin and diversity for major spices like black pepper and cardamom and possibly for ginger and turmeric and occupiesapre-eminentpositioninproductionand global trade of spices and foreign exchange earnings. About60differentkindsofspicescansuccessfully begrowninIndiabutspicesectorofthecountryis mainlyconcentratedonthecultivationofchillies, garlic, turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin, and pepper, which covers about 89 percent of the total cultivated area under spice and jointly contributed to 91 percent oftotalspiceproduction(Table3)(NHBDatabase-2011).ProductivityleveloftheIndiainrespectof spices is also considerably low in comparison to other countries. For example average yield black pepper in India is only around 290 kg/ha, which is much below to the Malaysia average yield which is2925 kg/ ha (morethan10timeshigher).Similarly,Incaseof cardamom, Indias average yield is 120 kg/ha while in Guatemala it is 200 kg/ha. In India, even the gap between national average and the realizable yield is very wide. Realizable yield for pepper and cardamom isaround2445kg/ha,and1625kg/ha,respectively, whereas,thenationalproductivityofpepperand cardamomismerely290kg/haand120kg/ha, respectively. The focal cause of poor crop productivity is unscientifc crop management practices and lack of knowledgeofprecisionfarming.Bridgingthisgap through effective implementation of various extension tools like site specifc crop demonstration, precision farmingpractices,informationandcommunication technology(ICT)etc.isthethrustneedandhaving potential to increase countrys production many fold (Vision-2020, IISR). Plantation crops constitute a large group of crops includingcoconut,arecanut,oilpalm,cashew,tea, coffee,rubber,andcocoa.Themajorplantation cropofthecountryiscoconut,whichcovers57.4 percentofareaandsharemorethan90percentin totalproduction(Table3)(NHBDatabase-2011). Indiaisthelargestproducer,processor,consumer andexporterofcashewintheworld.Indiaisalso theleadingproducerofarecanutintheworldwith 53 per cent share of global output. Coconut, cashew nut,arecanutandcocoaarethemajorplantation crops of India that jointly cover 15.5 percent of total croppedareaunderhorticultureandcontributeonly 5.3percenttothetotalhorticulturalproductionof thecountry.Traditionalcultivationpracticesand smallfarmholdingsarethemajorcausesofpoor productivity of plantation crops. However, they play an important role in view of their export potential as wellasdomesticrequirementsandinemployment generationandpovertyalleviationprograms particularly in rural sector. Postharvestmanagementoffreshproduceasa backbone for developing countriesThe ultimate goal of crop production is to provide quality produce to the consumers at reasonable rate. Most of the horticultural crops are highly perishable andpostharvestlossesareverysignifcantunder present scenario of post harvest management, which is insuffcient to meet the requirement of the country. Thebreak-upoftheselosses,whichoccurdueto poor post harvest management facilities and practices arepoorhandling(30%),poorstorage(30%),poor transportation(30%),presenceoflargenumberof intermediaries (5%) and the lack of knowledge about better preservation techniques (5%) (Maheshwar and Chanakya, 2006).TheGoldenrevolutionwasmainlyfocusedon theproductionofhorticulturalcrops,whichwas achievedsignifcantly.However,thedevelopment ofneedfulstorageinfrastructureforpostharvest storagewasneglectedinrevolutionprogrammes. Thisinfrastructurallackimposesvariouspost harvestlossesandcausesasignifcantgapbetween thegrossproductionandnetavailability.Along withtheincreasingproductionofhorticultural cropsparticularlyfruitsandvegetablestherepost harvestlossisincreasingcountingabout30-35% oftotalproductionintheabsenceofproperpost-harvesthandling/storage,preservation,andcold Siddiqui et al./IFRJ 21(4): 1271-1277 1275chaininfrastructure(Kitinojaetal.,2011).Thereis an urgent need for food processing technologies and packagingequipment,especiallyinareasofvalue-added fruit and vegetable processed products. Ready-to-eat/serve snacks and convenience foods segment, which is growing at the rate of 20 percent, also offers good potential. Business in handling, packaging, and storageequipmentsectorforHorticultural-products alsooffersgoodprospectsinIndia.Theexisting storageandhandlingsystemforfreshhorticultural produceistraditionalandthereisanurgentneed formodernizationandcreationofinfrastructureto reduce large-scale wastage. A study jointly conducted bythemanagementconsultancyfrm,McKinsey& Co.andtheConfederationofIndianIndustry(CII), determinedthatatleast50%oftheproductionof fruitsandvegetablesinthecountryislostdueto wastageandvaluedestruction.Thecostofwastage isestimatedatRs.23,000crores(US$4.6billion) onanannualbasis(Rolle,2006).Thisurgently necessitates developing an integrated approach right fromproductiontopostharvestmanagementand processinginordertoensureincreasedincomeand employmentforallsectionsoftheruralpeoplebe economicallysustainableandcontributiontowards food and nutrition security of the people. The growth potential for food business in India, however, is very promising. In recent times, factors such as changing foodconsumptionpatterns,increasedspendingon value-addedproducts,increaseinincomelevels, rapidurbanization,increasingnumberofwomen joiningtheworkforceandchanginglifestyleshas broughtaboutamarkedshiftamongconsumersfor processed food items. Amenitiesthatcouldbecreatedtoallthe importantproductioncentresaswellasinlarge markets include post-harvest handling infrastructure viz., humidifed storage apparatus for fresh produce; sorting and grading equipment; technology to reduce microbialcontamination;coolingsystems,cargo transportair-conditioningandrefrigerationsystems for railways; refrigerated containers/trailers; and vans for transport of perishable products. Reduction of loss wouldmeanincreasingfoodavailabilityinfreshor processed form. There is a need for adequate support forestablishingColdChainfacilitiesandmodern markets,includingsettingupofTerminalMarkets andcreatingmodernhumidifedstoragefacilitiesat the Ports and the Airports also. Development of cold chain infrastructure is essential to exploit the potential ofthehorticulturesectorindistantbothglobaland domestic markets. Support to the growing organized retailsectorthrougheffcientsupplychainsystems couldalsoboostdomesticconsumption,encourage valueaddition,andreduceloss(Maheshwarand Chanakya, 2004; Kitinoja et al., 2011).Afurtherdilemmaisthatfruitsandvegetables arenotuniformlyavailablethroughoutthecountry and some areas suffer from scarce supply even when there is a glut in other parts. Marketing, storage and packagingofbothfreshandprocessedproducts wouldplayavitalroleinpricepermanenceof delicatehorticulturalproduce. Animmenseforceto foodprocessingandstoragewilladdvaluetothe product. It will increase the income of farmers, create employment, and promote rural industrialization.Infrastructureforhandlingofperishable commoditieshasbeeninadequate.Recently, initiativehasbeenmadetodeveloptherequisite infrastructure,improvementinthePortfacilities, settingupofQualityTestingLabs,ColdChain facilitiesetc.Reductionofmoisturelossfromthe product is the major quality of packaging materials. Asolutiontomoisturelossproblemsfromproduce appeared with the development and wide distribution of semi permeable plastic flms. Airfow through the ventilation holes allows hot fruit or vegetable to slowly cool and avoid the build-up of heat produced by the commodityinrespiration.Holesarealsoimportant in cooling the fruit when the packages are placed in acoldstorage,especiallywithforcedair-cooling. Ventilationholesimprovethedispersalofethylene produced. Research and development effort is required to develop edible flms and coatings that have good packagingperformancebesidesbeingeconomical. Improvedpackagingwillbecomemoreessentialas International trade expands after globalization .Better packaging should be of immediate value in reducing waste.Muchbackgroundresearchonpackagingof perishable products and fowers is needed simulating theactualhandlingconditionsexpectedduring marketing (Murthy et al., 2009).Losses offresh produce take place at the levels 1/3betweenthefarmandroadhead,another1/3 betweenroadheadandwholesalemarketsand theremaining1/3betweenwholesalemarketand retailer.Thereisneedtotraintheself-helpgroups, unemployed/underemployedyouth,andgrowers includinghousewivesonscientifcpre-harvestand post-harvestmanagementincludingprocessingand preservation.Theintroductionoftrainingyoung boysandgirlsinthefeldofPreservationoffruits andvegetablesistoyokethewidelyexpanding horizonofjobopportunitiesinthearea.Extension personnelengagedinhorticulturaldevelopmental activitieseitheringovernmentsector,agricultural universitiesorinfoodscienceandtechnology centresshouldbedelegatedthedutytoprovidethe 1276 Siddiqui et al./IFRJ 21(4): 1271-1277requiredtrainingtogrowers/producersandtraining thetrainersforthoroughorientationinmaturity determination,gradingandpackingstandardsfor allcommodities.Thereisneedtoimprovepacking containers,methodofhandlingduringtransport andmarketing.Applicationofcorrecttechniques canreducethelossesbyabout70to80%.There isalsoneedtoimprovetheskillinhandlingof preservationequipmentforlargescale,workingin hygienic manner, maintaining sanitation, preparation of preserved products, and identifcation of spoilage andapplicationofremedialmeasure.Besides,the conceptofsupplychainmanagementshouldbe followedinthissectorforoveralldevelopment because supply chain management (SCM) represents themanagementoftheentiresetofproduction, manufacturing/transformations,distribution,and marketing activities by which a consumer is supplied with a desired product.Atlast,investmentsareneededtodevelop necessaryinfrastructureinthissectorincluding settingupofresearchanddevelopmentlaboratories andpilotscaleplantintheagriculturaluniversities andgrantforsettingup/expansion/modernization ofexistingfoodprocessingindustriesinthestate. Appropriatepoliciesandschemesfordevelopment and transfer of new technologies are urgently needed topropagatenon-polluting,cheaptechnologies e.g.,irradiationandbiotechnologyforpreservation ofhorticulturalproduce.Theeffortsareneededto capitalizeourstrengthslikelonggrowing-season, diversesoilandclimaticconditionsandremoving gaps/constrains to meet the goal of moving towards an alarming horticultural growth in India.Conclusion and future directionsTheinvestmentsespeciallyinthepostharvest horticultural technology can have a major impact on reducing post harvest losses and increasing the food security, ultimately, improvement in the incomes with theuseofexistingproductiontechniqueswithout increasing production. The formulation ofPostharvest Working Group in each states of the country would be very useful in providing a forum for communications among all those concerned with postharvest biology andtechnologyresearchandextension.Thefuture research and extension activities must be toward the maintaining quality especially favour and nutritional contentandensuringsafety(avoidingchemical andmicrobialcontamination).Amajorattention andfundingforpostharvestresearchandextension efforts should be given to different governmental as well as private organisations. 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