Quality of apple in India suffers due to poor storage amenities, leading to lower yield and smaller size of the fruit  Apple is a hugely popular and largely consumed fruit across the world. It is also one of the most highly traded fruits worldwide. In India, there has been bumper production of the fruit in recent years. However, in spite of this increase in production, poor preservation facilities of the fruit are resulting in its wastage. In a poll conducted recently by FoodProcessing360, 100% of the respondents are of the opinion that the storage facilities of apple need to be improved to bring down its wastage and enhance its nutritional value.Apple is a temperate fruit grown in high altitudes. Apples need controlled atmospheric storage facility for its preservation and this includes right temperature, humidity and oxygen content in the air.
“The ideal conditions supporting apple storage are temperature of 23 degree Celsius, humidity of 80% and oxygen content in the air of not more than 4.4%. Apples will retain their nutritional value only if they are stored in these conditions,” says Satish Shrivastava, a food technologist in Lucknow.
Lack of proper infrastructure
In India, cold storage facilities have always been an area of concern. The country needs proper infrastructure to support storage of fruits and vegetables, considering that the storage requirements vary from one fruit to the other.
Apple requires at least 1600 hours of chilling for its preservations. But fluctuation in temperature in the lower altitudes does not let that happen, resulting in the smaller size of the apples and a reduction in yield.
Sharing his views on this issue, Vinod Huria, president of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, India, says, “Apples and such other temperate fruits require separate compartments with controlled temperature for preservation. Unfortunately, such facilities are inadequate in India. As a result, quality of the fruit is suffering.”
Apple facts
In India, apple is mainly produced in states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland and Sikkim in the north-eastern regions of the country also grow apple. The harvest period of the fruit is generally from August to December.
Shalmoli Kundu |
