Fruits and vegetables, which are among the perishable commodities, important ingredients in the human dietaries. Due to their high nutritive value they make significant nutritional contribution to human well-being. They are the cheaper and better source, the protective foods. If they can be supplied in fresh or preserved form throughout the year for human consumption, the national picture will improve greatly.
The vast production base offers India tremendous opportunities for export. During 2014-15, India exported fruits and vegetables worth Rs. 7474.14 crores which comprised of fruits worth Rs. 2771.32 crores and vegetables worth Rs. 4702.78 crores. Mangoes, Walnuts, Grapes, Bananas, Pomegranates account for larger portion of fruits exported from the country while Onions, Okra, Bitter Gourd, Green Chilles, Mushrooms and Potatoes contribute largely to the vegetable export basket. The major destinations for Indian fruits and vegetables are UAE, Bangladesh, Malaysia, UK, Netherland, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
In developing countries agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. As such, it should be no surprise that agricultural industries and related activities can account for a considerable proportion of their output. Of the various types of activities that can be termed as agriculturally based, fruit and vegetable processing are among the most important. Therefore, fruit and vegetable processing has been engaging the attention of planners and policy makers as it can contribute to the economic development of rural population. The utilization of resources both material and human is one of the ways of improving the economic status of family.
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