Supply Chain Management of Fruit and Vegetable Crops in Tamilnadu

Abstract

Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian rural economy as it newlinecontributed 14 percent of India s GDP, 10.5 percent of its total exports, and also newlineprovided employment to 57.3 percent of the country s workforce in 2012-13. newlineHorticulture s share is around 30 percent of the agricultural GDP, and has a 55 newlinepercent share of the total agricultural export. Although, urbanization has led to the newlinedecline of arable land and the number of those involved in farming is also on a newlinedecline dramatically, the production and area under cultivation of fruit and vegetable newlinecrops has been on an increase over the years. The area of cultivation of fruits and newlinevegetables is 8.46 MHa (Million Hectare) in 1991-92 and it increased to 16.29 MHa newlineduring 2011-12. India is the largest producer of fruits and the second largest producer newlineof vegetables in the world. With regard to its contribution to the Indian economy, newlineFruits and Vegetables (FandV) account for 7-8 percent of the gross cropped area, but newlinecontribute to more than 19 percent of the gross value of the total agricultural newlineproduction. India has the potential to feed the whole world, considering the vast area newlineof arable lands that she possesses, and the ability to produce all kinds of FandV that newlineare suitable for all seasons. The combined annual production of fruit and vegetables newlinein India currently estimated to be over 227 MT (Million Tonnes) is likely to cross newlinethe 377 MT mark by 2021. newlineBeing the largest producer of fruits in the world has made us self-sufficient, newlinebut the absence of a proper supply chain management, poor post-harvest newlinemanagement, and fragmented infrastructure continue to contribute to substantial newlinewastage of the produce. The annual wastage of fruits and vegetables is estimated at newlinebe around 90 million tons. The wastage is expected to rise even higher by 2021, newlinetouching close to 40 percent of total production, with an estimated value of `. 1,000 newlinecrore annually, just in the FandV perishable channel alone. The availability of a proper newlinesupply chain management is the need of the hour in orde