Department of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002.
* Currently posted as Professor, Department of Agricultural Engineering and Food Technology, SVBP University, Meerut.
Chicory is a root crop which is better known to food processing industry as an internationally accepted coffee additive or as its substitute. India has about 10% share in its international trade and its consumption is promoted by food processing industries like Mis Nestle India Limited and Mis Hindustan Levers. In India this crop is mainly produced in certain districts of Gujarat though U.P. state has also started it's significant production in districts of Aligarh and Etah during last 4–5 years over an area of about 8000 ha. Being comparatively a new crop, having a very small area under cultivation in India, no major emphasis has been given in past to develop suitable agro-techniques of this crop. Both the production as well as post-harvest operations of this crop have sufficient scope of mechanization to provide higher productivity and profitability to producers. On a specific request of Chicory Growers Association of Etah and Aligarh District a study funded by NATP (ICAR) is in progress at AMU, Aligarh to develop suitable technologies for the mechanization of crop and quality improvements in the primary processed product. This paper presents an in depth account of present status of techniques used as well as prospects of much needed technological interventions required for mechanization in both, production as well as post-production practices so as to increase its productivity, profitability and export potential.
