Introduction

Postharvest technology plays an important role for food security and poverty alleviation policy of the country. It is multidisciplinary in nature and assuming a growing importance to increase food production to meet the requirements of the expanding population. Realizing the importance of postharvest technology, Agricultural Perspective Plan for twenty years (2000-2020 A.D) have given due emphasis to the generation and dissemination of postharvest technology to improve the socio-economic condition of the country. There are arrays of outstanding challenges ahead to prevent the losses during storage, processing, transportation and production of value added processed food with high quality. Utilization of nutritious but neglected crops such as finger millet, naked barley and buckwheat is important because they are rich sources of micronutrients and need to improve processing technology. It should be urgent research objective in front of food technologists and nutritionist. Food science and technology research programme has been active since 1994/95 under the umbrella of NARC. From the beginning research projects on quality analysis, processing, storage and packaging of perishables are continuing. Food Research Unit was established in 1999 (2056/057). Realizing the growing importance of food science and technology for development and dissemination of advance technology there is desperate need of established of Food Science and Technology Research Division under NARC. The division should be responsible to formulate the strategies for minimizing the postharvest losses either by modifying or manipulating the existing handling, processing and utilization techniques or by innovating and introducing new technologies.

Objective

The overall objective is to develop efficient post-production technologies for both durable and perishable agricultural produces in order to increase food availability and strengthening the food security situation of the country. The specific objectives are the following

• Development of appropriate technologies for minimization of quantitative and qualitative post harvest losses of both perishable and non perishable foods.
  
• Generation of indigenous and cost effective technology for the preservation, processing and value addition of fruits, vegetables and spices.
  
• Dissemination of quality evaluation system of cereals, legumes and oilseeds of local and improved varieties.
  
• Development of technologies in order to minimize milling and extraction losses during processing of cereals, legumes and extraction losses during processing of cereals, legumes and oilseeds.
  
• Formulation and promotion weaning foods and low cost nutritional recipes based on millets, legumes and cereals along with nutritional intervention studies.
  
• Development of energy saving technology such as solar drying, cellar storage, zero energy cool chamber for horticultural crops.
  
• Documentation of the developed technologies in the form of booklets, leaflets, seminar papers and proceedings.
  
• To disseminate developed Postharvest technologies through on farm research, training and medias such as TV, radio, and leaflets to the farmers, processors, extension personnel and individuals.
  
• To prepare proposals on Postharvest aspects for joint collaborative research work with international organizations such as FAO, ACIAR, SDC, UNDP and others.