Project Background:
Fruits and vegetables are the most important products in agriculture sector due to its nutrition value. Keeping the products fresh is the best way to maintain its nutritional value. Moreover, fruits and vegetables are seasonal in nature and due to their low shelf life after harvest they are sold in the markets at very low prices. There is a considerable surplus of these fruits and vegetables which can be processed (dehydrated) for consumption during off-season. Dehydration of Fruits and vegetables or that of onion and garlic offer a value addition opportunity leading to extension of shelf life. The dried fruits and vegetables as well as onion and garlic are substituted for the actual commodity as well as growing innovations regarding technological applications is adding fuel to market growth. These products are highly used in the dairy, bakery industry as well as spice industry owing to their flavour enhancing-ability.
Raw Materials:
- Vegetables: Corn, Peas, Beets, Asparagus, Potatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, Red Pepper, Celery, Onion, Tomatoes, etc,
- Fruits: Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Bananas, Strawberries, Pineapple, Papaya, Blueberries, etc,
- Spice mix: Ginger & Garlic.
Plant Specifications:
- Plant capacity: 120 tons (output) per annum.
- Days operational – 300 days
- Hours operational – 20 hours
- Approximate area – 1000-4000 sq. meters (depending upon type of dehydrated plant)
- Approximate project cost – Rs. 2-3 crores
Market Share:
The demand for crops, food products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals are growing exponentially day-by-day with the population explosion. Food habits of Indians are such that most of the households prepare vegetables every day. Due to climatic conditions and types of soil, many vegetables are cultivated throughout the year. The major limitation of bulk of the green vegetables is that they are grown only during pre-determined season which lasts for 3-4 months and thus their availability during rest of the months is a major problem. Hence, if they are made available during this period, then they command premium price. Green house method enables cultivation of any vegetable during any season but calls for huge investment which affects the economic viability. Dehydration technique is, therefore, preferred.
The world fruit production is estimated to be 676.9 million MT and vegetables 879.2 million MT. India is world’s second largest fruit and vegetable producer with an annual fruit production of 86.602 million MT and vegetable production of 169.478 million MT.
The global market for dehydrated fruits and vegetable stands at US $ 30 Billion, growing at a CAGR of 7.5%. During Covid-19 Crisis , dehydration was the preferred choice of many entrepreneurs looking to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables due to supply chain disruption.