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The policy brief highlights the triple win of reducing PHL:
- benefiting farmers (enhanced income),
- enhancing food security, and
- ensuring sustainability (less resource exploitation) in agri-food systems.
Key highlights
- Production in India
- Food Grain: Increased from 74.23 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1966-67 to 330.5 MMT in 2022-23.
- Horticulture: Increased from 96.6 MMT in 1991-92 to 355.25 MMT in 2022-23.
- India’s Storage capacity: Expanded from 108.8 MMT in 2010 to 219.4 MMT in 2021
- PHL: Globally, around 30% of food produced never reaches consumers (FAO, 2021).
- India faces higher PHL in cereals, pulses, and oilseeds than global levels.
- Annual loss of US $18.5 billion from 2020 to 2022, despite some reduction in PHL from 2012 to 2022.
Key factors behind PHL in India
- On-Farm Operations: Low farmer education and skill levels, weather conditions, and the use of defective machinery.
- Marketing Channels: En-route leakages from open lorry transport, poor quality packaging, use of iron hooks, improper storage practices, etc.
- Policy Issues: Jute Packing Material Act (1987) mandates using jute bags, which are susceptible to pests, insects, and contamination.
Way forward
- Mechanization in agriculture,
- reforming the Public Distribution System (PDS) and boosting direct cash transfer, etc.
Initiatives to reduce PHL
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