A Centre of Excellence will be developed in Panchkula in Haryana by adopting modern technologies for the management of fruits and vegetables grown by the state's farmers. The Rs 115 crore project will be assisted by the United Kingdom, according to Haryana Agriculture Minister Kanwar Pal.
This centre is expected to be completed by 2026, he said, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed in this regard.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department, Ankur Gupta, and British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, Caroline Rowett.
An official release quoting the minister said that India stands second globally in the production of fruits and vegetables. But 20-30 per cent of this production gets wasted.
This Centre of Excellence will help in the proper preservation of fruits and vegetables for the state's farmers, the minister pointed out.
The centre will be developed by adopting modern technologies. Post-harvest, fruits and vegetables can be transported and stored at the correct temperature and humidity. This will help in extending the shelf life and freshness of fruits and vegetables.
Besides, the establishment of the Centre of Excellence will strengthen the cold chain in India and also help minimise the energy used in the cold chain, the minister said.
In addition to storage, various experiments will be conducted at this centre on how to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables so that farmers can minimise such losses.
