According to APEDA data, India is the largest producer of vegetables such as ginger and okra and second largest producer of vegetables such as potatoes, onions, cauliflowers, brinjal, and cabbages. While it is the largest producers of fruits such as Bananas, Papayas, and Mangoes.
There is a huge opportunity in harnessing the potential of fruits and vegetables processing in India in the form of frozen (IQF), canned, pulp, puree, paste, sauces, snacks, dressings, flakes, dices, dehydration, pickles, juices, slices, chips, jams and jelly.
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka are the major Fruits producing States, whereas Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha are the major Vegetables producing States of the country (As per 3rd advance estimates of 2022-2023)
The Government of India through the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is also taking all necessary steps to boost investments in the food processing industry. Under PMKSY, the government has sanctioned 41 Mega Food Parks of which 24 are operational.
As per the DGCI&S provisional data, processed fruits and vegetables recorded a growth of 30.36% (April-December 2022), while fresh fruits and vegetables registered a four percent growth in comparison to the corresponding months of the previous year.
In April-December, 2021, fresh fruits were exported to the tune of $1078 Mn which increased to $1121 Mn in the corresponding months of the fiscal year 2022-23. Exports of processed F&V jumped to $1472 Mn in nine months of the current fiscal from $1129 Mn in the corresponding months of the previous year.
Fruits and vegetables exports were up by 12% to touch $1,676 Mn in 2021-22 against $1,492 Mn in 2020-21, while processed fruits and vegetables exports were up by 7% to reach $1,202 Mn in 2021-22 against $1,120 Mn in the previous year. Exports of Fruits & Vegetables values at $ 205.79 Mn in May 2022 and records positive growth vis-à-vis May 2021 of 15.20%.