THE MINISTER OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES(SHRI SUBODH KANT SAHAI)
(a) & (b): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, with the
intention of creating an enabling environment for the development and
growth of food processing sector across the country, has been
repeatedly requesting the states for framing a suitable Food Processing
Industrial Policies. While Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh
have formulated separate food processing policies, Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and Tripura have included the policy as an
integral part of their industrial / agricultural policy.
(c) to (e): It is estimated that the annual wastage of agricultural
food items is about Rs. 50,000/- crores occurring at various stages of
handling after harvesting. In order to increase the level of
processing and promote industrial growth in the sector, the Ministry
has come out with Vision 2015 with an objective of trebling the size of
the industry, increasing the level of processing of perishables from 6%
to 20%, value addition from 20% to 35% and Indian share in global food
trade from 1.5% to 3% by 2015.
In order to achieve the above, the Ministry has been implementing
various plan schemes, namely – i) Scheme for Infrastructure Development
with major components i.e. Mega Food Park, Cold Chain and Value Added
Centres, Modernization of Abattoirs, ii) Scheme for Technology
Upgradation/ Establishment/ Modernization of Food Processing
Industries, iii) Scheme for Quality Assurance, Codex, Standards and
R&D, iv) Scheme for Human Resource Development, v) Scheme for
Strengthening of Institutions and vi) Scheme for Upgradation of Quality
of Street Food. Under the scheme of funding R&D projects, the Ministry
has been funding projects submitted by reputed institutions like IIT,
etc to develop new technologies & new products so as to enhance shelf
life & reduce wastages.
The Ministry has also set up bodies like Indian Grape Processing
Board, National Meat and Poultry Processing Board and is in the process
of setting up/ upgrading institutions like National Institute of Food
Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and Indian
Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) to develop new
technologies, to improve the processing capabilities of the Indian
industry and thus reduce wastage.
