Every year in India, food worth Rs 1.22 lakh crore gets spoiled even before it reaches people’s plates. According to the Climate Trends report, there are two major reasons for this – one is the lack of cold storage in the country to keep fruits and vegetables safe and second is the change in weather and increasing heat. Out of the total fresh produce of the country, only 4% of the goods are available in cold storage. Due to food wastage, goods become less in the market, which has a direct impact on the budget of common people and food inflation. According to the report, 30 to 40% of fruits and vegetables in the country rot before reaching the market or customers. At the same time, due to lack of proper maintenance and transportation, 5 to 6% of the grain also gets spoiled on the way. Due to this, food inflation can reach 8.20%. Crop wastage is not the loss of the farmer, it is the failure of the entire system. Dr. Palak Baliyan, Research Head of Climate Trends, says that the spoilage of grains and fruits and vegetables in India is not just a problem of farming, but it is a failure of the entire infrastructure and supply chain. One-third of fruits and vegetables are wasted before reaching consumers. On top of this, weather conditions like extreme heat and unseasonal rains further increase the damage.
Source link
[ad_3]
Food worth ₹ 1.22 lakh crore is being wasted every year: Only 4% of fruits and vegetables are getting cold storage, food inflation can reach 8.20%.
