Mohali, June 20, 2025- S. Harchand Singh Barsat Chairman Kausamb and Chairman Punjab Mandi Board participated in the National Conference held in Coorg (Karnataka) on the subject of Food Loss and Waste in Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market and emphasized on post-harvest handling of the crop and its proper delivery to the consumers.
He said that the farmer produces the crop with a lot of hard work. During this time, more attention needs to be given to the care of the crop and its proper delivery to the people than the attention given to the crop, because due to improper handling, about 25-30 percent of that hard work goes waste. Therefore, this is a very serious issue.
Keeping in mind the population of our country, there is a need for a better management system, be it grains or fruits and vegetables. When fruits and vegetables are taken to the mandis, their wastage starts from there. Vegetables are packed in sacks and put in vehicles and this is where the wastage of the crop starts and it reaches people's homes from the mandis. He said that today the time has come to discuss in detail how the crop should be taken care of and in what type of vehicle it should be transported.
S. Barsat said that it has been so many years since India got independence, but even today the statistics are not available as to which crop is grown in which state and in what quantity which crop should be sent from which state to other states as per the requirement of the people. This issue has already been raised by me, keeping this in mind there is a need to form an expert committee of senior and expert persons. So that a study can be done about the production hold of the whole of India, whether it is a vegetable, fruit or any other crop, so that it can be ascertained which type of crop grows better in which state and which state needs how much of which crop and the central government should give guidelines to the state governments on a scientific basis that the yield of this crop, fruit or vegetable is better in your area, so it should be produced and technical information should also be provided.
He said that today the situation is that in the states where fruits, vegetables or crops are being produced, they are not being handled properly and there is neither storage, nor transportation nor any such statistics, which can tell which product is to be sent from which state to where. No system has been created by the central government in this regard. He said that through this national conference very good suggestions will come out, which will be beneficial for all.