Post Harvest Processing is directed to conservation of produce, process goods and value adding to make the material more readily usable and economically more remunerative. The Post harvest technology is gaining importance for increasing agril.productivity and growers intend to become producer-cum-processor by utilizing the tehnologies of processing. The knowledge of appropriate post harvest processing of agricultural commodities is necessary.

• Post-harvest technology has to develop in consonance with the needs of each society to stimulate agricultural production; prevent post-harvest losses, improve nutrition and add value to the products.
• In this process of developing of post harvest technology and its purposeful use needs an inter-disciplinary and multi-dimensional approach which must include scientific creativity, technological innovations, commercial enterpreneurship and institutions capable of inter-disciplinary R. & D, all of which must respond in an integrated manner to the developmental needs.
• All R. & D. projects and technology assessments and each problem must be clearly identified to find solutions for them within a specific time as for as possible.
• Post-harvest technology should have potential to create rural industries.
• All processes such as threshing, drying storage, parboiling, milling, storing grading,oil extraction, ginning, cold storage, packing, transport, marketing should maintain or enhance quality of the products and make it marketable.
• Old and outdated method of paddy milling, improper and inefficient methods of storage of paddy, rice, transport and handling we lose about nine percent of productions modern rice mills give more output turn of rice and better quality. During milling process bran is separated and is used for extraction of rice bran oil. Husk can be used for fuel purpose. Every component of paddy should be gainfully used and there should have no wastage.
• Loss of food value can be caused by over exposure to sun which destroys certain vitamins, by the use of high temperature and during artificial drying which causes thiamine loss in rice by the development of fungi or by insect attack. In peas and beans infestation can cause a loss of about 12 percent of available protein. Hence more attention should be given on primary processing aspects which include cleaning and grading, drying and dehydration, storage and milling, packaging and transportation. For example:

1. Simple and effective storage system for grains crops and vegetables mainly through public or private agencies would be a desirable step.
2. Post harvest techniques for special crops like makhana, Litchi, Mango, Banana and other fruits and vegetables that are grown in abundance should be developed to get remuneration price as well as consumers through prolonged availability.
3. Use of hullers must be banned strictly which produce inferior grade bran unfit for its extraction. Centrifugal and rubber roll shellers be used in place of hullers.
4. Similarly ghani system has to be removed and mechanical (screw type) expellers have to take place of Kolhu or Ghani.
5. Entrepreneurs should be encouraged for opening processing industry. It would help the state to use its own raw materials, an assurance to the farmers for quick disposal of produce at remunerative price and consumers to get the products of their choice at cheaper prices.
6. More emphasis should be on the use of power Ghani or expeller in place of Kolhu for higher recovery.
7. Establishment of Dal mills should be emphasized in pulse growing belt as a village cooperative programme.
8. Low cost engineering storage structures should be popularized.
9. Starch production from maize and potato and simultaneous oil production from maize and strengthening of research base with adequate financial support should be given attention.
10. Our processing industry has to grow at a faster rate to keep pace with other developed countries hence utilize modern machinery e. g. solvent extraction process for rice milling to yield high value oil, infra-red process for drying rice, improved mini rice mill, airtight moisture proof rodent proof bins.
11. Technology of by-product utilization has to be given greater attention like rice ban can make the country self sufficient in edible oils rice husk in boiler furnaces.
12. Dryers should be uniform and slow to bring down gradually moisture content levels, as moist paddy dry rapidly deteriorates in quality.
13. Harvesting should be done at a relatively high moisture content i.e. between 23 to 25 percent to prevent grain shattering which are actual initial losses.
14. The post harvest system should be thought of as encompassing the delivery of a crop from the time and place of harvest to the time and place of consumption, with minimum loss, maximum efficiency and maximum returns to all involved.

In order to take advantages of Agricultural Engineering Technology for generating income and employment in rural areas following action is suggested.

• Bring awareness amongst the rural people about the new developments in agricultural engineering technology in different fields.
• Organize training programmes for the farmers/agricultural labourers/entrepreneurs.
• Mass production of different types of agricultural machinery for farmers/entrepreneurs.
• Start agro processing centres in each village for primary processing of food grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Provide institutional credit for the purchase of argil. Machinery and starting agro-processing centres.
• Develop market network for purchase/supply of processed material from agro-processing centres.
• Develop proper network and infrastructures for popularization of agricultural machinery for crop production setting up agro-processing centres.

Agri.
Yellow Pages
Resources
(Post
Harvest)