The total production of fruits in the world is around 370 million
MT. India ranks first in the world with an annual output of about 32
million MT which accounts for about 8% of world’s fruit production
(Anonymous, 2009). India is also the second largest producer of
vegetables in the world (ranks next to China) and accounts for
about 15% of the world’s production of vegetables. The current
production level is over 71 million MT and the total area under
vegetable cultivation is around 6.2 million hectares, which is about
3% of the total area under cultivation in the country. The diverse
agro climatic zones of the country make it possible to grow almost
all varieties of fruits and vegetables in India. Although India is the
largest producer of fruits in the world, the production per capital is
only about 100 g per day. However, it is estimated that more than
20–22% of the total production of fruits is lost due to spoilage at
various post-harvest stages. Thus, the per capita availability of fruits
is further reduced to around 80 g per day, which is almost half the
requirement for a balance diet. Also it is estimated that around 20–
25% of total vegetables are lost due to poor post-harvesting practices.
Less than 2% of the total vegetables produced in the country
are commercially processed as compared to 70% in Brazil and 65%
in USA.