Spotlight

New Delhi, 26 February 2007

BOOST TO FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

NEW DELHI, February 27 (INFA): The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries has prepared a “Vision Document 2015” for giving a boost to the growth of food processing sector.

The Document envisages trebling of the size of the sector by increasing the level of processing of perishables from 6 per cent to 20 per cent, value addition from 20 per cent to 35 per cent and share in the global food trade from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent.

Under the Vision 2015, the thrust areas identified for strategic intervention are, establishment of mega food parks, modernization of abattoirs, cold chain value addition and preservation infrastructure, upgrading safety and quality of street food and establishment, upgradation of quality control laboratories. The Ministry has identified strategies along with a detailed action plan in this regard to realize the Vision.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) under the chairmanship of Minister for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Sharad Pawar, has been set up to consider an Integrated Strategy for Promotion of Agri-Business: Vision, Strategy and Action Plan for Food Processing Sector. The GoM held several meetings. The provisions of its facilities shall come into force from such date as the Central Government may notify in the official Gazette. 

The main objective of the Bill is to bring about a single statute relating to food and establish Food Safety and Standards Authority with a view to (a) lay down food standards, (b) effectively regulate manufacture, import, storage, distribution and sale of food to ensure consumer safety and promote global trade, (c) pool infrastructure, manpower, testing facilities and (d) rationalize and strengthen existing enforcement mechanism.

It has been decided to set up a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) at Kundli, Haryana as an International Centre of excellence which will work synergistically with the industry and similar institutions. The Institute would have 15 theme centres on food technology, management and international trade.

The street food sector in India is currently completely unregulated. This has often been a concern for public health authorities. There have been periodic attempts by local authorities to do away with street food vending. There is a need to regulate street food vending in India and to bring it within the organized sector.

MFPI has therefore decided to take the initiative in this direction along with industry associations, NGOs, municipal bodies and Ministries of Urban Development, Poverty Alleviation, Panchayat Raj Institutions and Tourism with a view to improve the safety of food in the streets.

The effort will be to ensure safety and facilitate value addition, which would lead to increase in income level of food vendors. Six Pilot projects are proposed to be taken up in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Agra, Mumbai and Guwahati. ---INFA