🌾 What is Post Harvest Technology?
Post Harvest Technology (PHT) refers to the various methods and techniques used to handle, process, store, and transport agricultural produce after harvesting. It ensures that the quality of crops — especially perishable products like fruits, vegetables, flowers, and spices — is maintained from farm to fork.
In simple words, PHT means taking care of the crop after it is removed from the plant — so that it stays fresh, clean, nutritious, and marketable for a longer time.
PHT is essential in horticulture and agriculture because 35%–40% of total produce in India is lost due to poor post-harvest handling, especially in fruits and vegetables.
🎯 Objectives of Post Harvest Technology
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Minimize quantitative and qualitative losses
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Maintain nutritional value, appearance, and freshness
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Increase shelf life of produce
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Facilitate safe storage and transportation
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Support value addition and processing
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Enable better marketing and export
🌍 Scope of Post Harvest Technology
Post harvest technology plays a role in nearly every stage after harvest, from the field to the consumer. Its scope includes:
✅ 1. Harvesting Tools and Techniques
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Using proper tools like secateurs, sickles, and harvesting shears
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Harvesting at the right stage of maturity to ensure best quality
✅ 2. Sorting and Grading
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Separation of produce based on size, color, ripeness, and quality
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Helps in fetching better prices in the market
✅ 3. Cleaning and Washing
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Removes soil, dirt, pesticide residues, and microbes
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Enhances the visual appeal and safety of produce
✅ 4. Curing and Drying
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Important for crops like onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric
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Reduces moisture content to prevent rot
✅ 5. Packaging
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Use of proper materials like crates, cartons, net bags, or vacuum packs
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Protects the produce from mechanical damage and spoilage
✅ 6. Storage
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Short-term and long-term storage in cold stores, packhouses, or controlled atmosphere units
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Prevents loss due to rotting, sprouting, or insect attack
✅ 7. Transportation
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Use of refrigerated trucks or ventilated vehicles
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Minimizes damage during movement from field to market
✅ 8. Processing and Value Addition
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Making products like jams, juices, pickles, pulp, chips, etc.
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Increases shelf life and reduces wastage
💡 Importance of Post Harvest Technology
🌟 1. Reduction in Post-Harvest Losses
India loses over ₹90,000 crore annually due to post-harvest losses. With better technology, this can be reduced drastically.
🌟 2. Better Prices for Farmers
Clean, graded, and well-packaged produce fetches premium prices in the market, helping farmers earn more.
🌟 3. Ensures Food Security
Less wastage means more food available to feed the growing population.
🌟 4. Improves Nutrition
Post-harvest care helps in preserving the vitamins and nutrients of fruits and vegetables.
🌟 5. Boosts Export Potential
Export markets demand high quality, graded, and safely stored produce. PHT makes this possible.
🌟 6. Generates Employment
Post-harvest handling, processing, and packaging provide jobs in rural and urban areas.
🌟 7. Encourages Agro-based Industries
PHT supports setting up of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for processing, packaging, cold storage, etc.
🥭 Examples of Post Harvest Losses in Horticultural Crops
| Crop | Estimated Loss |
|---|---|
| Mango | 25%–30% |
| Tomato | 30%–40% |
| Banana | 20%–25% |
| Onion | 25%–30% |
| Flowers | 35%–40% |
These losses mainly happen due to improper harvesting, rough handling, no cold chain, and poor packaging.
🧊 Technologies Used in Post Harvest Handling
✅ 1. Cold Chain Management
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Use of cold rooms, refrigerated trucks, and freezers to maintain low temperature
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Helps extend shelf life of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and milk products
✅ 2. Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage
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Adjusts levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to slow down ripening
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Used in apples, grapes, and kiwi storage
✅ 3. Zero Energy Cool Chambers (ZECC)
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A low-cost cooling structure using brick, sand, and water
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Ideal for small farmers to store produce without electricity
✅ 4. Pre-cooling
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Rapid cooling of produce after harvest using cold water, air, or ice
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Reduces heat and slows spoilage
✅ 5. Waxing
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Applying thin edible wax coating on fruits like apple and citrus
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Reduces water loss and gives shiny appearance
✅ 6. Irradiation
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Use of gamma rays to kill microbes and insects in stored food
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Approved and safe method to extend shelf life
🏭 Value Addition in Post Harvest Technology
Value addition means turning raw produce into products with more value. It gives better returns and reduces waste. Examples include:
| Raw Produce | Value-Added Products |
|---|---|
| Mango | Juice, Aam papad, Pickle |
| Tomato | Ketchup, Sauce, Paste |
| Banana | Chips, Flour |
| Turmeric | Powder, Oil, Capsules |
| Rose | Rose water, Gulkand, Perfume |
This opens up new markets and business opportunities for farmers and agripreneurs.
🚀 Government Initiatives Supporting Post Harvest Technology
🌱 Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
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Subsidies for cold storage, packhouses, ripening chambers, etc.
🏭 PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME)
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Helps small food processors upgrade technology and packaging
📦 Operation Greens (TOP to TOTAL)
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Focuses on improving post-harvest infrastructure for Tomato, Onion, Potato, and other crops
🧪 Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC)
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Promotes young entrepreneurs to start post-harvest businesses
🔧 Challenges in Post Harvest Sector
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Lack of cold storage in rural areas
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Poor road connectivity for quick transport
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Lack of training on proper handling
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Limited use of modern packaging
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Farmers unaware of grading and value addition techniques
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High cost of storage and transport equipment
🧠 Solutions and Way Forward
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Training farmers in basic PHT methods like grading, sorting, and packaging
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Promote low-cost technologies like ZECC and solar dryers
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Encourage cooperative marketing and aggregation
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Set up rural packhouses and collection centers
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Support startups and youth in agri-processing units
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Improve market linkages and cold chain connectivity
🧾 Conclusion
Post Harvest Technology is not just about science — it’s about saving food, saving money, and saving effort. It plays a key role in reducing food wastage, increasing farmers’ income, and ensuring safe food for consumers.
Whether you are a farmer, student, processor, or policymaker, understanding and using PHT methods can bring major benefits in agriculture and horticulture. It is the bridge between farm production and food security.
The future of farming is not just in growing crops — it lies in handling them smartly after harvest.
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