Packaging breakthrough offers fresh hope to litchi farmers in Bihar, boosts India's export potential
Litchis, typically highly perishable with a shelf life of just five days, pose serious distribution challenges—especially from Bihar, India's largest litchi-producing state, to southern parts of the country. However, a new innovation using Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) now promises to extend the shelf life by at least 15 days, with the potential to keep the fruit fresh for up to 30 days.
The technology recently made headlines when India successfully shipped its first consignment of litchis from Pathankot to Qatar using MAP, allowing shoppers in Qatar to purchase fresh Indian litchis—a milestone that showcases the technology's potential.
'Litchi farmers from Bihar couldn't even send their fruits to South India,' said Dr. Sudhansu, Secretary of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). 'Now, this MAP technology, developed by our scientists at the UFlex lab in Noida, is set to revolutionise the industry.'
Building on this success, India is now developing a 'Sea Protocol' for litchis to further boost exports by enabling cost-effective sea shipments. Sea transport is not only cheaper but also attracts lower GST compared to air cargo. The Sea Protocol involves specific harvesting timelines, maturity standards, temperature controls during shipping, and ripening guidelines at the destination to maintain fruit quality.
'We are collaborating with Madagascar, a leading global exporter of litchis, to develop the Sea Protocol,' said Dr. Sudhansu. India has already implemented the protocol successfully for bananas exported to the Netherlands and Russia, and is now working to develop similar procedures for pomegranates and mangoes.
Bihar alone accounts for nearly 40% of India's litchi production, followed by West Bengal (12%) and Jharkhand (10%). India is the world's second-largest litchi producer after China, with other major producers including Thailand, Australia, South Africa, Madagascar, and the United States.
Efforts to enhance litchi preservation have drawn political attention as well. During his recent Yatra, Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed concern over the fruit's short shelf life and urged ICAR scientists to develop solutions to extend it.
With these new technological advancements and international collaborations, India is positioning itself to compete strongly in the global litchi market.
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