FRUIT PROCESSING, PRESERVATION AND MARKETING PROJECT

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]FRUIT PROCESSING, PRESERVATION AND MARKETING PROJECT
(Establishment of Processing & Preservation Centre of Horticulture Produces for Employment and Income Generation in District Tehri Garhwal of Uttarakhand)

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The agro climatic condition of India has ranked it third in the world, with an annual production of 102 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables per annum. Despite such huge production, there is an annual loss of about 30% due to meagre utilization by fruit and vegetable processing Industry and almost negligible processing being done at home. Others factors for destruction of the crop are lack of transportation and low prices offered to the growers. Though India has witnesses a shift towards the use of dehydrated fruits and vegetables, there is always a growing demand for home made processed food both at the rural and urban levels. In addition to bringing about a check and control over the pre and post harvest losses, the act of setting up economically viable and non-energy intensive processing and preservation units at the village level by employing the local labour augments to the family income thereby raising the socio-economic condition of the growers and beneficiaries.

The other long term sustainable benefit would be linking the small and marginal farmers in the area with the production and marketing system involving their full participation at all levels. Another immediate benefit of processing is that it increases the shelf life of the horticulture produce thereby increasing the bargaining power of the small and marginal farmers.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

• To augment the income of small grower families through value addition to their produces.

• To train the selected beneficiaries, particularly women in processing, semi-processing and preservation of horticultural produces.

• To establish a nodal production facility and satellite units with decentralized functions.

• To establish linkages with Science & Technology based resource agencies for technical back up and support.

• To establish market linkages for the sale of the products.

• To achieve a full-fledged production centre which is sustainable and viable.

COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT

• Training of project functionaries and beneficiaries.

• Establishment of three satellite units for semi-processing of horticulture produces.

• Establishment of one nodal unit for full processing of horticulture produces.

• Market simulations.

• Cooperative formation of producer groups.

• Technical backup from Science & Technology Institution.

TARGET AREA AND TARGET GROUPS OF THE PROJECT

The project was implemented in 15 villages of Chamba-Mussoorie fruit belt in Chamba Block of District Tehri Garhwal. Educated and unemployed youths, women and weaker sections from small fruit grower families of the project area were the target beneficiaries of the project.

FUNDING AGENCY

The project was funded by the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi under Appropriate Rural Technology Scheme (ARTS)

COST OF THE PROJECT

The project was sanctioned by the CAPART during the year 2003. Total cost of the project sanctioned by CAPART for two years was Rs. 10,88,535.00 out of which Rs. 9,79,682.00 was provided by the CAPART and Rs. 1,08,853.00 was contributed by the community and project beneficiaries itself.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”740,741,742,743,744,745″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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