Parliament Question: Assessment on Post-Harvest Losses

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2998 ANSWERED ON 06TH AUGUST, 2026 ASSESSMENT ON POST-HARVEST LOSSES 2998. SHRI JAI PRAKASH: Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment regarding post-harvest losses of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables across different agro-climatic regions and if so, the details thereof; (b) the estimates of such losses and their economic impact on farmers’ incomes, commodity-wise and State-wise; and (c) the steps taken to strengthen scientific storage, cold-chain infrastructure, grading, packaging and value-addition facilities through convergence of Centre and State schemes? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI CHIRAG PASWAN) (a) & (b): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) estimates post-harvest losses from time to time for various agri-produces in the country across different climatic zone through commissioning of studies based on primary surveys. Two studies were commissioned by the Ministry through (i) Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) -Central Institute of Post- Harvest Engineering & Technology (CIPHET), 2015 with reference year 2012-14 and (ii) NABARD Consultancy Service Pvt. Ltd (NABCONS), 2022 with reference year 2020-22. As per the latest report, the details of the estimated percentage of Post-Harvest losses of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables across different agro-climatic regions are placed at Annexure-I. The study conducted by NABCONS provides commodity-wise and state-wise estimates of post-harvest losses for selected agricultural commodities based on field surveys covering major producing States. The study, however, does not include an assessment of the farmers' incomes. Commodity-wise and state-wise post-harvest losses estimated in the said study are placed at Annexure-II. (c): MoFPI supports creation and expansion of the processing/preservation capacities through implementation of three schemes for the overall development of food processing sector. The schemes include creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlets, reduce post-harvest losses and create value-addition, providing better returns to farmers, creation of employment opportunities, increasing the processing levelsand enhancing the export of processed foods. Brief of these three schemes being implemented by MoFPI is given as under: MoFPI is implementing Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) since 2017-18 across the country. The component schemes under PMKSY are (i) Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure (ii) Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC scheme), (iii) Operation Greens (OG scheme), (iv) Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC scheme), (v) Mega Food Parks (MFP scheme- discontinued w.e.f. 01.04.2021) and (vi) Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages (CBFL scheme- discontinued w.e.f. 01.04.2021). Under these component schemes, MoFPI provides financial support in the form of grants-in-aid/ subsidy for setting up of food processing projects thereby creating both processing and preservation infrastructure facilities including cold chain infrastructure. Ministry provides financial, technical and business support for setting up/ upgradation of micro food processing enterprises in the country under "Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) of MoFPI is intended, inter alia, to support creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in international market. The scheme is being implemented over a six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs.10,900 crores. *****ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2998 FOR ANSWER ON 06TH AUGUST, 2026 ON “ASSESSMENT ON POST-HARVEST LOSSES” Details of post harvest losses of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables across Agro climatic zones Category Crop Post Harvest Losses (%) ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ ACZ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Cereals Bajra 4.20 4.08 3.76 4.44 4.64 4.21 5.04 4.78 4.40 Maize 2.60 4.76 4.52 4.46 4.97 4.81 3.54 4.48 4.66 3.67 2.51 3.99 4.60 Paddy 2.91 6.10 5.19 4.67 4.09 3.25 4.05 4.28 3.45 5.47 5.98 5.61 4.63 Sorghum 5.85 6.05 6.29 5.84 6.04 5.82 Wheat 2.10 5.63 5.01 4.06 4.15 4.89 5.22 4.17 4.23 5.77 Pulses Black gram 5.23 5.68 6.83 7.60 5.60 6.03 4.87 Chickpea 5.72 5.47 5.81 5.30 5.30 6.70 Green gram 6.24 6.07 5.75 6.20 5.96 6.13 5.95 Pigeon Pea 6.63 7.07 6.90 4.59 4.20 Fruits Apple 9.91 Banana 6.06 9.33 8.81 5.84 6.44 Citrus 5.40 7.40 8.79 7.93 Grapes 6.73 8.02 Guava 17.08 15.30 14.76 14.59 14.14 Mango 9.95 9.19 7.84 8.58 Muskmelon 6.64 7.35 5.50 5.76 7.42 Papaya 6.73 6.58 5.81 Pineapple 7.41 4.47 5.92 3.75 Pomegranate 6.02 8.58 Sapota 9.10 10.97 11.48 8.01 7.47 Vegetables Green Pea 6.35 6.36 6.67 6.36 5.82 6.27 Beans 5.48 8.02 7.10 6.65 Bottle gourd 7.35 6.43 7.14 Brinjal 7.89 7.52 7.32 6.95 Cabbage 7.31 8.63 8.55 7.98 7.44 8.26 Capsicum 5.74 4.31 4.33 5.74 Cauliflower 7.64 8.10 7.33 7.92 8.58 8.58 Mushroom 6.01 4.48 2.74 6.35 8.42 9.36 13.04 Okra 6.05 6.27 5.84 6.25 5.79 Onion 8.11 6.78 8.70 7.57 Potato 5.77 5.62 5.96 6.13 7.02 5.98 Radish 5.14 6.45 5.11 7.51 6.66 Tapioca 6.43 4.96 4.80 Tomato 12.36 10.87 12.94 10.88 ACZ- Agro Climatic ZoneANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2998 FOR ANSWER ON 06TH AUGUST, 2026 ON “ASSESSMENT ON POST-HARVEST LOSSES” Table1: Post-harvest losses of major crops and commodities Crops/ Commodities Loss (%) As per NABCONS study (2022)* Cereals 3.89-5.92 Pulses 5.65-6.74 Oil Seeds 2.87-7.51 Fruits 6.02-15.05 Vegetables 4.87-11.61 Plantation Crops & Spices 1.29-7.33 Milk 0.87 Fisheries (Inland) 4.86 Fisheries (Marine) 8.76 Meat 2.34 Poultry 5.63 Egg 6.03 Source: *NABCONS Study 2022 Table2: State Wise Post- Harvest Losses Andhra Pradesh Assam Chhattisgarh Overall Total Overall Total Overall Total Product Product Product Loss (%) Loss (%) Loss (%) Bajra 5.07 Cabbage 7.38 Bottlegourd 6.77 Banana 9.33 Egg 6.05 Guava 13.79 Black gram 5.56 Meat 3.44 Paddy 3.92 Cashew nut 4.82 Mushroom 4.48 Radish 6.66 Chickpea 5.71 Paddy 6.07 Chilli 7.06 Pineapple 7.11 Gujarat Citrus 7.97 Poultry Meat 6.61 Product Overall Total Coconut 4.32 Radish 5.14 Green gram 5.85 Cottonseed 3.03 Bajra 4.41 Egg 5.47 Andaman & Nicobar Islands Tomato 10.97 Overall Total Green gram Product Cottonseed 6.17 Loss (%) 2.93 Groundnut 6.58 Areca nut 6.44 Groundnut 5.31 Inland fish 4.68 Coconut 4.25 Okra 5.79 Maize 5.98 Sapota 7.47 Mango 7.9 Bihar Cabbage 8.39 Overall Total Marine fish Product Cauliflower 8.5 Loss (%) 7.99 Milk 0.58 Bottlegourd 7.35 Milk 0.5 Muskmelon 7.42 Brinjal 7.52 Onion 7.57 Paddy 5.73 Cabbage 8.7 Mustard 4.38 Papaya 6.58 Cauliflower 6.76 Potato 5.18 Pomegranate 8.69 Green gram 6.06 Wheat 5.18Poultry Meat 7.39 Guava 15.36 Maize 5.18 Sorghum 5.67 Inland fish 5.99 Beans 6.65 Tapioca N/A Maize 5.83 Brinjal 6.99 Tomato 12.36 Mango 10.1 Banana 7.59 Turmeric 4.97 Okra 6.27 Black gram 4.8 Paddy 4.65 Papaya 5.81 Pineapple 5.89 Paddy 4.54 Potato 6.11 Pigeon Pea 4.27 Radish 5.11 Sugarcane 8.99 Sunflower 5.18 Haryana Jharkhand Karnataka Overall Overall Total Loss Overall Total Total Loss Product (%) Product Product Loss (%) (%) Bajra 3.77 Papaya 6.73 Areca nut 4.15 Chickpea 5.66 Bajra 5.03 Cottonseed 2.55 Jammu & Kashmir Beans 7.33 Overall Total Egg Product Loss (%) Black pepper 6.74 1.31 Meat 2.88 Apple 9.51 Capsicum 5.75 Milk 0.74 Egg 6.08 Cashew nut 3.17 Mushroom 5.91 Maize 3.92 Coconut 3.78 Mustard 4.52 Egg 5.64 Poultry Grapes Meat 4.63 Kerala 8.02 Overall Total Radish Product Loss (%) Inland fish 7.51 4.82 Areca Sugarcane Maize 6.34 nut 4.01 4.41 Black Sunflower Marine fish 4.44 pepper 1.26 8.97 Cashew Wheat Onion 4.37 nut 3.07 8.7 Coconut 3.61 Pigeon Pea 4.57 Himachal Pradesh Egg 5.53 Pineapple 3.73 Overall Total Loss Marine Product (%) Pomegranate fish 8.75 8.19 Apple 9.2 Meat 2.2 Safflower 3.1 Poultry Capsicum Sorghum 5.74 Meat 5.32 5.69 Green Pea 6.35 Tapioca 4.8 Soybean 6.63 Mushroom 6.01 Sugarcane 4.84 Wheat 3.32 Sunflower 4.22 Maize 2.27 Tomato 9.97 Turmeric 4.63Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Meghalaya Overall Overall Product Total Loss Product Total Loss Product Overall Total Loss (%) (%) (%) Bajra 4.53 Bajra 4.21 Tapioca 4.99 Black gram 6.73 Banana 6.06 Turmeric 5.64 Bottlegourd 7.46 Black gram 7.48 Cashew nut 4.53 Capsicum 4.33 Chickpea 5.4 Cauliflower 6.46 Citrus 8.79 Nagaland Chickpea 5.85 Cottonseed 2.98 Product Overall Total Loss (%) Chilli 6.29 Eggs 5.55 Tapioca 5.42 Citrus 7.4 Grapes 6.73 Coriander 6.01 Green gram 5.9 Odisha Egg 6.33 Groundnut 6.16 Product Overall Total Loss (%) Bottle Green Pea Maize 6.27 5.3 gourd 7.57 Groundnut 6.11 Mango 8.61 Brinjal 7.3 Guava 14.93 Marine fish 8.8 Cabbage 8.08 Maize 6.3 Meat 2.78 Cauliflower 7.65 Milk 0.53 Milk 0.65 Chickpea 6.09 Muskmelon 5.76 Mushroom 9.24 Egg 6.63 Mustard 4.86 Onion 6.78 Green gram 6.11 Okra 5.84 Paddy 4.44 Inland fish 5.68 Onion 8.11 Pigeon Pea 6.9 Marine fish 9.89 Paddy 4.2 Pomegranate 6.02 Mushroom 13.64 Pigeon Pea 6.43 Poultry Meat 4.78 Okra 6.25 Potato 7 Safflower 3.02 Paddy 4.17 Sorghum 6.76 Sorghum 6.16 Tomato 13.19 Soybean 7.36 Soybean 8.84 Tomato 11.85 Sugarcane 8.61 Wheat 4.94 Sunflower 4.93 Punjab Tamil Nadu Uttarakhand West Bengal Overall Overall Overall Overall Total Product Total Loss Product Total Product Total Loss Product Loss (%) Loss (%) (%) (%) Capsicum 4.31 Banana 7.47 Apple 11.5 Beans 5.48 Citrus 5.4 Beans 7.82 Milk 1.16 Brinjal 7.85 Black Green Pea Paddy Cabbage 6.67 gram 5.93 2.87 8.71 Maize 6.91 Egg 6.6 Sugarcane 5.46 Cauliflower 7.26 Milk 0.63 Groundnut 5.31 Wheat 2.51 Eggs 7.07 Mushroom 6.7 Maize 4.39 Green gram 6.24 Marine Muskmelon Groundnut 5.48 fish 9.14 Uttar Pradesh 7.24 Overall Paddy Meat Product Total Loss Guava 3.15 3.04 (%) 15.86 Potato 5.57 Mushroom 11.03 Bajra 4.11 Inland fish 3.79 Sugarcane 4.38 Paddy 5.98 Black gram 6.11 Maize 5.42Poultry Bottle Wheat Marine fish 4.55 Meat 6.08 gourd 6.43 8.94 Sorghum 6.29 Egg 6.06 Meat 2.41 Rajasthan Sugarcane 8.65 Green Pea 6.34 Milk 1.09 Overall Product Total Loss Inland fish Mustard (%) 4.99 6.21 Bajra 5.03 Telangana Maize 5.77 Okra 6.05 Overall Black gram Product Total Meat Paddy 5.74 Loss (%) 2.8 5.14 Chickpea 5.83 Chilli 6.06 Milk 1.12 Pineapple 5.66 Coriander 5.7 Citrus 7.73 Mushroom 2.74 Potato 5.71 Poultry Cottonseed Cottonseed Muskmelon 2.53 3.04 7.25 Meat 5.41 Greengram 6.21 Egg 5.36 Mustard 5.97 Radish 6.45 Green Groundnut Paddy Sunflower 5.03 gram 6.24 4 5.21 Maize 5.81 Groundnut 6.67 Potato 5.82 Wheat 6.13 Poultry Milk Maize 1.35 6.51 Meat 7.24 Mustard 4.75 Meat 1.61 Sugarcane 6.91 Sorghum 6.01 Pigeon Pea 5.01 Wheat 6.36 Poultry Soybean 6.54 Meat 8.12 Wheat 6.25 *****