PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF FRUITS PROCESSING INDUSTRY IN SPECIAL CONTEXT TO SELF HELP GROUPS IN RATNAGIRI DISTRICT

The objectives of this research are to do in-depth study of the problems and prospects of fruits processing units run by Self Help Groups in Ratnagiri district which are mostly the cottage industry. In this region, fruits processing activities are generally performed by women, individually or in group based on domestic know-how, and by manual work. Government of India has explicitly supported Self Help Groups engaged in Fruits processing with a view to strengthen the rural community economically, especially women by providing them opportunity to earn income jointly by using local resources, and to reduce post harvest losses.Majority of fruits products in this region are produces by these Self Help Groups. But this activity is not treated as commercial activity and hence unrecognized.Fruits processing units run by Self Help Groups have typical problems like broad distribution of income, informal way of working, lack of training facilities, and unavailability of low cost technology, rely heavily on social networks for marketing and lack of market information.This requires designing measures to support food processing activities run by Self Help Groups to achieve SME status by augmenting their capacity through social resourcing, technology transfer, skill upgradation and handholding support. Training should be given to improve the methods of preparation, serving food hygienically and proper packing through NGOs or by Government itself.