Performance of Pickle Production Processing and Marketing in Sindh Pakistan

Abstract

Pickle products are packed in polythene bags then are placed in the Glass bottles or bucket. The pickle producers in Shikarpur area on average spent a total cost of production of Rs.1575700.00 in the Rs.607500.00 raw material cost, Rs.320900.00 packaging material cost, Rs.536000.00 human resource cost and Rs.130000.00 marketing cost respectively on capital inputs. The selected pickle producers in Shikarpur area on average revenue generate of Rs. 2350000.00 and pickle net income per unit Rs.1340700.00, Rs.2350000.00 gross income and Rs.1575700.00 total expenditure respectively in the study area. The pickle production unit gross income Rs. 2350000.00 and total expenditure is Rs.1575700.00 in the study area therefore they availed input output ratio of 1:1.49 and pickle production unit net income Rs. 774300.00 and total expenditure Rs.1575700.00 in the study area therefore they availed input output ratio of 1:0.49 respectively in the study area. 1. Introduction Pickle is one of the oldest and most successful methods of food preservation known to human. The optimization of pickle quality depends on maintenance of proper acidity, salt concentration, temperature and sanitary conditions. Pickle products add spice to meals and snacks. The skillful blending of spice, sugar and oil with fruit and vegetable gives crisp, firm texture and pungent, sweet-sour flavor. Pickles serve as appetizers and help in digestion by aiding flow of gastric juices. Fermented pickles also have beneficial bacteria that can control harmful intestinal microbes. Pickle in Shikarpur is manufactured in twenty-five different agriculture products like mango (carry), chillies, lemon onion etc. and is manufactured in three categories oil, vinegar, and water. The export quality of pickle is manufactured in soybean oil. There are twelve pickle manufacturing factories in Shikarpur and fifteen pickle selling shops in the city. Different manufacturers have opened their outlets in different cities of the country like in Quetta to export the product to Afghanistan and Iran. Pickle manufacturing process is consisting on six steps. When raw material are brought from different parts of the province/country (like mango) is being cut into different parts according to the requirement of buyer after then it is washed with fresh water, then it is mixed in mixing machine at this stage different spices are mixed with raw material. The raw material is stored in brine tank where they can be preserved for twelve months. After that according to the requirement of buyer mixed raw material is taken from the brine tank and are washed. After washing raw material are mixed in mixing tub(container) where different spices are mixed after then manufactured pickle is packaged in different sizes of jars and are sold. Pickle manufactured in vinegar takes fifteen days to be ready for eating purpose while pickle manufactured in soybean oil takes one month to be eaten (Hashmi et al. 2007). Pickles are generally of three types namely pickles in vinegar, citrus juice, brine and oil. Besides the basic fruit/vegetable, the substances that are generally added to pickles are vinegar, sugar, salt, oil and spices. The presence of these ingredients makes the product highly acidic in nature. Due to the acid nature and/or the presence of oil in the pickle, the packaging material to be used should be oil and acid resistant. Spoilage of pickles could be due to microbial contamination or oxidation/ rancidity of the oil used. A good packaging material for pickle can prevent spoilage. A good package for pickles should have the attributes such as aroma retention, excellent protection against light, moisture and oxygen, excellent seal integrity for containment, grease, oil and acid resistance, good aesthetics and appearance. When food is available in ample it is preserved for further consumption (Khan et al. 2005). Pickle has a large variety of pickles (known as Achar in Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, Uppinakaayi in Kannada, Lonacha in Marathi, orukai in Tamil, oragaya in Telugu), which are mainly made from varieties of mango, lime, tamarind and Indian gooseberry (amla), chilli. Vegetables such as brinjal, carrots, cauliflower, tomato, bitter gourd, green tamarind, ginger, garlic, onion, and citron are also occasionally used. These fruits and vegetables are generally mixed with ingredients like salt, spices, and vegetable oils and are set to mature in moisture less medium. In Pakistan, pickles are known locally as Achaar (in Urdu) and come in a variety of flavors. A popular item is the traditional mixed Hyderabadi pickle, a common delicacy prepared from an assortment of fruits (most notably mangos) and vegetables blended with selected spices (Hassan et al. 2001).