Engineers India Research Institute

The Agribusiness sector in India has achieved remarkable successes over the last three and a half decades. This sector has evolved from traditional subsistence level farming to commercial agriculture producing high value and processed products. Agro processing is now regarded as the most promising and sunrise sector of the Indian economy in view of its large potential for growth and likely socio economic impact specifically on employment and income generation. The agro industry is an important and vital part of the manufacturing sector in developing countries and the means for building industrial capacities. The food processing sector is a highly fragmented industry has the potential to be the driver of economic growth and enhance rural incomes. It has several segments like dairy, grain processing, fruits and vegetable processing, fisheries, consumer foods include packages foods, meat & poultry processing, beverages and packaged drinking water. India has a strong and dynamic food processing sector playing a vital role in diversifying the agricultural sector, improving value addition opportunities and creating surplus food for agro-food products. As a matter of fact unprocessed foods are very much susceptible to spoilage on storage. The agro industry mainly comprises of the post-harvest activities of processing and preserving agricultural products for intermediate or final consumption. The right post harvest practices such as good processing techniques, and proper packaging, transportation and storage (of even processed foods) can play a significant role in reducing spoilage and extending shelf life. India, having an advantage of a strong agricultural base has tremendous potential to tap favorably and become a preferred sourcing destination for food products globally.