India's post-harvest loss problem is worth over 1 lakh 52,000 crore rupees. India lost about 5-13% of its fruits and vegetables between harvesting and consumption. The government actually has schemes that helps farmers set up better post-Harvest infrastructure. But the scheme doesn't cover single or standalone storage facilities.
On Tuesday, the Mint reported that the government plans to run an onion irradiation pilot to reduce the rot and increase their shelf life before tossing them into storage. So, in today’s episode for 23rd March 2023, we use this story to dive into India’s broader post-harvest loss problem of not just onions, but all perishable crops. And how irradiation can be a tiny part of the solution.