Three Hundred Fifty New Food Processing units to be set up SUBODH KANT SAHAI RELEASES 100 DAYS AGENDA OF HIS MINISTRY

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), which is powering India’s Evergreen Revolution, will help set up as many as 350 food processing units within the next 100 days as part of its target of creating one crore jobs by 2015 at a total investment of Rs one lakh crore. This was announced by Minister for Food Processing Industries Shri Subodh Kant Sahai in New Delhi, today.

Unfolding the 100 days agenda of his Ministry, the Minister said as part of its Vision-2015 action plan the Ministry has already helped to create 47 lakh incremental jobs during the last four years.

Shri Sahai said the Vision-2015 targets formulated in 2005 during the first term of the UPA government, included increasing India’s level of food processing from an abysmal six percent in 2004 to 20 percent by 2015, value addition from 20 percent in 2004 to 35 percent and share in global trade from 1.5 percent to three percent.

The Minister for Food Processing Industries said as a result of the slew of initiatives introduced by the Government of India and the MoFPI during the last five years, the food processing sector has made rapid strides and is well on its way to achieve the targets set for the year 2015. He said the level of processing has already gone up to 10 percent with consequent wastage of perishables coming down from Rs 58,000 crore a year to less than Rs 50,000 crore. The value addition has gone up from 20 per cent to 26 percent and the Food Processing Sector’s growth rate has gone up from seven percent in 2005 to over 13 percent.

The Minister was of the opinion that to achieve the Vision-2015 targets, a lot more needs to be done during the next five years. The Ministry has identified as many as 13 key areas where action needs to be taken. Shri Sahai said MoFPI has also identified nearly 100 measures that will be initiated within the first 100 days from today to facilitate and enable rapid development of the food processing sector. The Ministry believes such growth will transform India by making agriculture viable, ensuring inclusive growth and reducing mass poverty. He said the Ministry’s first priority is to ensure supply of trained manpower at all levels such as technicians, managers and entrepreneurs since the massive investment targeted for the food processing sector cannot be achieved without the necessary human resources.

The Minister informed that during the first 100 days, his Ministry intends to commission a study to ascertain/identify the requirements of the industry for trained manpower at various levels. It will also prepare a blueprint for training 10 lakh skilled workers and five lakh women entrepreneurs within the next five years.

Shri Sahai said the first phase of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) will also be inaugurated during the next 100 days. NIFTEM has been conceived as an apex training institution to build the human resources capacity necessary for supporting the increasing requirements.

The Minister also informed that the first phase of upgraded Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT), Thanjavur which is taking shape as an “International Centre of Excellence” will also be inaugurated soon. He said the Ministry will also inaugurate the first food processing Mega Incubation Centre at IICPT, Thanjavur during the first 100 days.

Outlining some other steps to be taken by his Ministry, Shri Sahai the Ministry will also commission two integrated cold chain projects and the first processing unit in the country’s first Mega Food Park. He said the Ministry will also launch a new website and a magazine to disseminate information about the sector to all stakeholders.

Shri Sahai said the Government of India has already introduced several fiscal incentives for the sector during the last five years. He assured that MoFPI will continue to champion the industry’s cause and seek more fiscal incentives including tax holiday for all food processing units and further lowering of customs, excise and VAT on food products, raw materials, machinery and packaging used by the industry.

VK/Samir/SK