145;We need to reduce post-harvest losses146;

M T Vasudevan, country head, Decco United Phophorous Limited said: 8220;Although India is the second largest producer of fruits after Brazil, it loses 30-40 per cent of the fruits and vegetables every year. If we localise the production of fruits, we can reduce transportation costs. We must make farmers aware of packaging fruits hygienically to make them more presentable and healthy,8221; he added.

Guy Goves, CEO, Khet-se Agriproduce India Ltd said: 8220;Linking farmers to the market is of utmost importance as even after spending 30 to 40 years of their lives in farming, they are not aware of the latest techniques in the market.8221;

Shrinivas Ramanujam, vice-president, Adani Agrifresh Limited, advocated training farmers on post-harvest management, announcing the weekly-pricing system in advance, a transparent pricing, setting a 24-hour helpline among others.