1.0 INTRODUCTION Fruits are an important source of energy for human-beings but they are perishable items. Hence since many years various products are made from juice of fruits so that they can be consumed during off season as well. Products like jam, jelly, squash etc. are made from fruits since long. With the advent of technology and preservatives, shelf life of such products has gone up and they can be preserved for many months with proper packing. The proposed location of this activity could be many centres in India as number of tropical fruits are grown in the country. However, this note deals with a project in Manipur as several fruits like pineapples, oranges, lemons, peaches etc. are cultivated in large quantities. Hence, it is suggested to undertake fruit processing activity. 2.0 PRODUCTS 2.1 Applications Fruits are perishable in nature and for their preservation, they need to be processed to make juices, squashes, jams, nectars etc. However, this note is restricted to making of orange and pineapple juice and squash. 2.2 Availability of know-how and Compliances
Strict compliances with the provisions under the FPO and PFA Act are mandatory. CFTRI, Mysore, has successfully developed the technical know-how. 3.0 MARKET POTENTIAL Demand and Supply Fruits are liked by people of all age groups but they are available only during specific season. Due to high water or juice contents, they are perishable. Certain fruits require very careful
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and consequently costly transportation. Hence, many down-the-line products like squash, fruit-juice concentrates, jam, nectars etc. are made from fruits with preservative which increases their shelf-life substantially. Market for such products has witnessed a quantum jump during last few years and with growing urbanisation, increase in disposable incomes and changing life styles, demand for them is steadily going up. Marketing Strategy There are some established brands available in the market but they