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India fact of the day
One third of the value of Indian fruits and vegetables ends up destroyed or spoiled on the way to market, mostly because of bad infrastructure, most of all bad roads.
That is from the International Herald Tribune, May 27 2006.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on June 6, 2006 at 10:36 PM in Data Source | Permalink
Comments
Does one third of the quantity of the produce lost really equal one third of its value? How much would the value of the produce change if all of it made it to market? I'm an economics novice, but it seems to me that the value of the lost third might be less than the value of the first or second third due to decreasing demand (unless demand would not decrease). At any rate the value of the last third wouldn't be higher than the prior two-thirds, right? Take pity on me.
Posted by: Anonymous at Jun 7, 2006 12:21:31 AM
Yep. I was consulting (reverse outsourcing) in Mumbai in December. We got Sunday off and took a side trip to Matheran Hill Station. Took us 3.65 hours to go 56 miles on the way out (15.5mph average), and 3.51 hours to go 63 miles on the way back (18mph average). The way back took a little less time because we were able to drive on a toll road at superhighway speeds for 10 minutes.
Part of the reason we went so slowly was because the roads had volkswagen-eater potholes, and another part was that we had to keep stopping to ask for directions. No route signs, and no names on roads. Perhaps the Indian government has the roads named or numbered, and perhaps the locals have names for their roads, but nobody bothers to put up the signs that would help travellers.
If you ever watch the Amazing Race, the racers *always* have a hard time in India.
Posted by: Russell Nelson at Jun 7, 2006 12:24:52 AM
How much fruit or veg gets lost on or on the way to US or European supermarket shelves? I'd be surprised if it was much less.
Posted by: Jack at Jun 7, 2006 12:38:30 AM
Jack, my guess is way less in the US. I'd bet < 5%.
Posted by: Anonymous at Jun 7, 2006 12:40:43 AM
From the website http://www.800apples2.com/index.html I found this blurp, fwiw:
If any one type of fruit averages less than 3% spoilage, this is considered normal by U.S.D.A. standards. Spoilage less than 3% must be reported to us within one week in order to receive credit. If spoilage averages more than 3% on any one type of fruit, we must be notified within 24 hours of delivery. This would be an excessive amount of spoilage and would have to be dealt with within 24 hours in order to receive an adjustment from the shipper.
Posted by: Anonymous at Jun 7, 2006 12:55:58 AM
Interesting. So does that mean that with the current capacity, India could
feed a 1/3 more people than what it currently does ...
Posted by: Prashanth at Jun 7, 2006 1:23:25 AM
> feed 1/3 more people
Not necessarily; it's just fruit and vegetables. An important part of the diet, but grains and legumes provide most calories probably, and should be more robust.
Posted by: Damien at Jun 7, 2006 1:51:12 AM
What a disgraceful waste. ;-(
Posted by: Christopher at Jun 7, 2006 6:38:08 AM
"One third of the value of Indian fruits and vegetables ends up destroyed or spoiled on the way to market, mostly because of bad infrastructure, most of all bad roads."
Poor farmers. I wish that they could get better communication facilities.
Posted by: Razib Ahmed at Jun 7, 2006 7:40:15 AM
Back in the days of massive food aid and famines India lost more grain to rats and pests then they imported.
This is nothing new.
Posted by: spencer at Jun 7, 2006 8:00:20 AM
I know for a fact the US does not lose more than 3% of its produce, however, by the time it gets from California to let's say New Jersey, it has made several stops, albeit in a temp controlled environment, has been en route 14 -20 days and then is dumped into the local produce megamarts. Whatever is "going bad" (or whatever the term is) is sold to local farmers market at a huge discount. So yes, we get most of our produce, but is it worth it? By that time, most of the vitamins and minerals have degraded and what is left but pesticides, and whatever else US corporate farmers use to keep it looking "fresh" for so long.
Posted by: Anonymous at Jun 7, 2006 2:25:56 PM
Oh yeah, my point is to buy locally - if that is an option. And last but probably not least, we have some of the best local and cross country roads in the world. Yippy!!
Posted by: Anonymous again at Jun 7, 2006 2:32:56 PM
Sure the inefficiencies that marked the past several decades of socialist policies have contributed to stagnation and widespread poverty, but the crowded, filthy markets of overpopulated Indian cities are so charming. Haven't you read anything by Arundhati Roy?
Posted by: Keb. at Jun 7, 2006 11:07:19 PM
I have been hearing this "fact" about 1/3rd of fruits and vegetables being wasted since 1990s. Is there any data out there backing this claim?
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