SWOT for Agro-Processing Industry in India:-

Strengths:-

1. Round the year availability of some crop or the other.

2. Social acceptability of processed foods.
3. Political help coming in.
4. Manufacturing facilities for such items are coming up in all larger states in a big way.
5. Vast domestic supply as well as consumption present.

Weaknesses:-

1. High requirement of working capital.

2. Absence of automated equipments and latest technologies.
3. Lack of Information Management.
4. Remuneration is less attractive for labour.
5. Inadequate linkages between R&D and industry. Lab to land technology transfer not proper.
Farmer not aware of varietal importance of Post harvest processing.

Opportunities:-

1. Large crop and material base as is evident from the post harvest loss occurring.
2. Agro-ecological variability.
3. Advancing scientific base and technology in our country.
4. Opening of global markets, leading to additional income and employment opportunities.

Threats:-

1. Competition from Global players.

2. Loss of trained manpower to other industries as technological advancement in other industries
is occurring faster than in this industry.
3. Rapid development in the contemporary and requirements of this industry may lead to
obsolescence, if nothing is done fast.

Lately lot has been happening in the states of visit, which shows that government has realized
importance of post harvest technologies. i.e.

1. Lately there have been plans on improvement and extension of agro-processing technology at
farm, traditional small industry and modern industry levels. The government is taking into
account diversity in resources and needs of different regions in the country, in terms of
economica as well as agronomy.
2. National plans should include programme details and implementation schedule for the first four
or five years. The progress of plan implementatiob should be periodically reviewed to allow
adjustments and corrective measures, and to develop programme details for the years beyond
the period under review.
3. Thrust areas for research and development should be identified based on actual requirements.
4. Catchment areas should be identified and plans agro-processing industries should be based on
that. Establishment of new plants can minimize transportation cost, make use of lower cost land
and more abundant water supply, create employment opportunity in rral sector and utilize
process waste and by-products for feed, irrigation manure, as these were the top three
requirements in those regions.
5. Infrastructure in the production catchments can be improved. Because of uncertain grid power
supply to rural areas(particularly Maharashtra), decentralized power generation using locally
available resources may become an integral part of agro-industrial development. Similarly, if the
raw materials and processed products are perishable or semi-perishable in nature, cold chain
will have to be established.
6. Such processing industries can be divided into three groups-Individuals, Private companies and
Co-operatives. Financial incetives and support should provided on liberal scale to promote the
modernization of agro-processing industry and for establishment of new such industries in
production catchments.
7. Arrangements of supply market information between the farmer and agro-processor would be
more manageable if the entire planning is based on these catchment areas.