Agricultural Economics Research Review
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue: 2

Assessment of harvest and post-harvest losses of major pulses in India

  • Author:
  • R K Vishwakarma1, S N Jha2, Anil K Dixit3,, Amanpreet Kaur1, Anil Rai4, Tauqueer Ahmed4
  • Total Page Count: 12
  • Page Number: 247 to 258

1ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology, Ludhiana-141004, India

2Agricultural Engineering Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Pusa, New Delhi-110012, India

3ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001, India

4ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi-110012, India

*Corresponding author: poojanilwe@gmail.com

JEL classification Q01, Q10, Q16

Abstract

A concurrent, national-level survey covering 14 agro-climatic zones (ACZ) was conducted in 2012–14 to quantitatively assess the harvest and post-harvest losses in pulses. The loss, estimated at INR 38.77 billion, was due mainly to inappropriate harvesting and poor post-harvest management—the use of improper threshers, delayed harvesting, and improper storage practices. To reduce the losses, harvesting and threshing practices should be standardized and machines refined and proper storage infrastructure provided; and farmers, traders, and processors need to be trained in scientific storage practices.

Keywords

Agro-climatic zone (ACZ), harvest loss, post-harvest loss, pulses, storage loss