The All India Coordinated Research Project on Post Harvest Technology was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Department of Agricultural Research & Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, in September 1972. It started with R&D Centres at ten locations.

During the V, VI and IX Plans, eleven more centres were inducted. In X Plan EFC, eight new centres were started and four existing centres were assigned enlarged mandate on dairy, fisheries, horticulture, and meat products. Besides, five ongoing centres of AICRP on Jaggery and Khandsari were merged with AICRP on PHT w. e. f. April 2004. 

During XI Plan, four new centres (CAU Gangtok, BAU Ranchi, MAFSU Mumbai and KVA&FSU Mangalore) have been approved by the Planning Commission.