NITI Aayog Roadmap Targets US$444 Million Annual Post-Harvest Loss in Jammu and Kashmir Horticulture

NITI Aayog's "Roadmap for Horticulture Development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir @ 2047" estimates that the region loses horticultural produce worth nearly ₹3,700 crore (US$444 million) every year after harvest, and points to cold chain infrastructure as a key lever for reducing those losses.

Scale of post-harvest losses

The report breaks down losses by product:

• Apples: approximately 5 lakh tons lost, valued at around ₹1,500 crore (US$180 million)
• Vegetables: a similar volume, valued at around ₹1,560 crore (US$187 million)
• Cherries: the highest percentage loss, between 40 and 49 per cent
• Saffron: 0.48 tons, valued at approximately ₹4.8 crore (US$576,000)

Causes and current processing rates

NITI Aayog attributes the losses to handling practices, insufficient storage, transport constraints, limited processing capacity, and marketing systems. Processing currently covers only 2–3 per cent of apples, 12–16 per cent of cherries, and 30–40 per cent of apricots.

Cold chain and infrastructure recommendations

To cut post-harvest losses, the roadmap calls for:

• Village-level aggregation hubs
• Pre-conditioning and packaging facilities
• Staging cold stores
• Refrigerated transport

Sector context and productivity trends

Horticulture provides livelihoods to approximately 3.5 million people and contributes around 6–7 per cent to Jammu and Kashmir's GDP, with an annual turnover of about ₹10,000 crore (US$1.2 billion). Fruit acreage grew from 1.31 lakh hectares in 1980 to 3.44 lakh hectares in 2022, but the report notes limited scope for further expansion and identifies yield improvement as the next focus.

Apple productivity recorded a negative compound annual growth rate of 0.37 per cent between 2020–22 and 2022–23, while almond acreage declined by around 10,000 hectares. The report links these trends to climatic conditions, higher cultivation costs, and changing market requirements.

"Operation Golden Greens"

NITI Aayog proposes an integrated framework called "Operation Golden Greens" for phased horticultural interventions through 2047, including high-density orchards, improved planting material, and updated orchard management practices.