Forecasting Technological Needs and Prioritizing Factors for the Post-harvest Sector of Indian Fisheries

Abstract

It is imperative to articulate technological needs of fish processing sector as future technologies for the domain of Indian seafood sector are expected to be different from what these are now. This calls for forecasting technological needs to fill the gaps in the present technological trends. Technology Forecast- ing is required for better planning and future preparedness, and may also give strategic advantage and global competitiveness in research and devel- opment. Non-thermal processing, active and intel- ligent packaging, development of high pressure and nuclear packaging technologies for food safety and security, biodegradable packaging and radiation preservatives emerged as frontier technological areas. The future researchable thrust areas in post- harvest fisheries viz., in the area of processing, biochemistry and nutrition, seafood quality assur- ance, microbiology/biotechnology/molecular biol- ogy, fishery engineering & instrumentation and extension methodologies are detailed in this com- munication. Major factors that need attention for the development of fish processing sector for enhancing productivity are prioritized. Inadequate pre-project diagnosis of field problems and lack of proper feedback from the client and extension systems were reported as major constraints in research and development in the seafood sector