Centre Encouraging States to Draft Separate food Processing Policy

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI) is encouraging the State Governments to frame a separate food processing policy for their respective States. This aims to facilitate the States to create enabling environment for creating rural infrastructure, raise level of processing and generate farm level employment keeping in view their distinct agri produce.

Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have formulated State Food Processing Policy. Some of the States i.e. Punjab, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Orissa are having their Food Processing Policy as a part of Industrial Policy.

The State Food Processing Ministers’ Conference was organized by the Ministry of Food processing Industries on 06.10.2009. Among the issues that were discussed include development of food processing infrastructure, formulation of food processing policies, capacity building, financing for the sector, food safety & quality and institutional strengthening.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Dr. Charan Das Mahant in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

MP: SB:CP: policy (Lok) 6.9.2011