INVC,,
Chandigarh ,,
Harish Garg President of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Chandigarh Chapter and Sh. Bhim Sen Aggarwal, General Secretary have alleged that the Congress led UPA Govt. is misleading the Nation in the matter of wastage of fruits and vegetables to the extent of 30% to 40% in India for which FDI in retail is needed.
In a press statement issued today, Chandigarh CAIT President Sh. Harish Garg said that the reports of Planning Commission’s Working Group on Agriculture Marketing Infrastructure for 12th Five Year Plan while citing the report of Indian Council on Agricultural Research (ICAR) has contradicted the claim of the Government that currently 30 % to 40% Fruits and vegetables produced in the country are wasted. He said that the Union Commerce Minister Mr. Anand Sharma has repeatedly argued the need of FDI in retail in order to curtail such wastage. Even the Hon’ble Prime Minister also made a mention of the said figure of wastage in his recent address to the Nation.
Sh. Harish Garg has asked the Union Commerce Minister to divulge the source or reference or study report on the basis of which he is continuously claiming wastage of fruits and vegetables up to 30% to 40%. It is a wrong statement of the Govt. which have been propounded just to facilitate the entry of FDI in Retail Trade.
Chandigarh CAIT President while contesting the claim of Govt. cited the report of the Working Group of Planning Commission which has inserted figures of post harvest losses on the basis of survey report of ICAR which stated as under:-
| Crop | Minimum % Loss | Maximum % Loss |
| Cereals | Sorghum(3.9) | Wheat(6.0) |
| Pulses | chick Pea(4.3) | Black gram(6.1) |
| Oilseeds | Cottonseed(2.8) | Groundnut(10.1) |
| Fruit | Sapota(5.8) | Guava(18.0) |
| Vegetables | Cauliflower(6.8) | Tomato(12.4) |
| Spices | Black Pepper(3.9) | Turmeric(7.4) |
| Livestock | Milk(0.8) | Inland fish(6.9) |
He said that all proponents of FDI in Retail have been arguing on this line. He further said that agro experts and Dealers in these agro commodities have stated the percentage of wastage up to 30% to 40% as incorrect and bogus in their responses to Consultation Paper of DIPP which was ignored in toto.
He said that based on the ICAR study and Planning Working Group, this post harvest losses are nowhere around the staggering percentage quoted by the Govt. It appears that the UPA Govt. is basing these bogus figures just for making up a case for allowing FDI in Multi Brand Retail.
