Agricultural and Biological Research

Innovations and strategies in post-harvest handling and value addition of horticultural produce

Ravi Kishan Soni* and Gajanand Modi

Horticultural production is reaching new heights every year, with India being the second-largest vegetable producer globally after China. Despite this, significant postharvest losses occur due to improper management and handling, exacerbating global challenges of food security, hunger, malnutrition and climate change. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to reduce food losses by 50% by 2030. This review highlights strategies to enhance the storability of fresh vegetables, including value addition through drying technology, temperature and storage atmosphere control and the use of anti-senescent molecules such as salicylic acid, nitric oxide, 1-methylcyclopropene and methyl jasmonate. In India, horticulture contributes 30% to agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 8.5% of the cropped area, with a significant portion of produce being fruits and vegetables. Effective postharvest management and value addition can transform waste into wealth, reduce production costs and optimize biomass utilization. Technologies like drying, dehydration, freezing, fermentation and extraction are essential for recycling and upgrading vegetable market waste. This review provides a comprehensive overview of postharvest losses and potential strategies for reducing losses in vegetables, emphasizing the need for cost-effective technologies tailored to Indian conditions.