Tropical Agro Unveils AI – Enabled Tech Tools To Tackle India’s 7 Million Tonnes Fruit Loss Problem
25 September 2025, Chennai: Tropical Agrosystem (India) Ltd. has announced a farm-tech suite that leverages data analytics and advanced technology to minimise post-harvest fruit losses, preserve product quality, and boost farmer incomes.
In a strategic partnership with AgroFreshTM Solutions Inc., Tropical Agro is bringing two globally acclaimed innovations—Strella and Rubens—to the Indian market after the successful launch of SmartFresh™ and SmartFresh™ InBox. The introduction of these technologies comes at a critical juncture, as post-harvest wastage remains a persistent challenge for India’s agricultural sector.
A 2020–2022 study by NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) estimated annual fruit losses in India at 7.36 million tonnes, with wastage ranging from 6.02% to 15.05%. The resulting economic loss is pegged at approximately ₹29,500 crore. Apples alone witness a post-harvest loss of around 9.51%, as per NABCONS data, and an earlier ICAR-CIPHET report placed this figure even higher at 10.39%.
Key reasons for such losses include fruit dropping during harvesting, improper handling, lack of scientific post-harvest practices, and over-ripening—underscoring a serious gap in monitoring infrastructure and advanced harvest maturity tools.
To address these gaps, Tropical Agro is rolling out Strella and Rubens, both seamlessly integrated with AgroFresh’s FreshCloud™, a digital platform that captures real-time data to inform better post-harvest decisions of produce condition from orchard to packhouse, shipping and beyond – across the supply chain.
“Tropical Agro sees significant growth potential in India’s post-harvest segment, which will remain a key strategic focus for the company,” said Mr. V. K. Jhaver, Founder of Tropical Agrosystem (India) Ltd.
“Given the complexities of India’s supply chain and the resulting food wastage, Strella and Rubens offer ideal solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, maintain product quality, and improve grower profitability. We look forward to introducing more such innovations in the future.”
“This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable, tech-driven solutions that benefit the entire agri value chain—from farm to consumer,” added K. Venkatasubramanian,General Manager – Post Harvest Business, Tropical Agrosystem (India) Pvt. Ltd. “Our focus is on reducing post-harvest losses—particularly in apples—preserving quality, and enabling smarter, data-led decision-making across the agricultural ecosystem.”
Also Read: Two Rows of Grapes, Two Different Futures: How Biostimulants Are Reshaping Farming
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