Food Processing Ministry Pushes Investment and Skill Development

Ministry of Food Processing Industries is concerned with the formulation and implementation of policies for Development of food processing industries in the country. Food processing sector plays a vital role in reduction of wastages of agri-horti produce, enhancing shelf life of food products, ensuring value addition to agricultural produce, diversification of agriculture. Employment generation, Enhancing the incomes of farmers and export of agro & processed foods.

Ever since the new government has taken over, the following key developments have taken place in the Ministry of Food Processing:

·     Special fund of Rs. 2000 crore set up in NABARD, which was announced in the Budget of 2014-15 to provide affordable credit to Agro-processing units.

·     Reduction in excise duty from 10% to 6% for Food Processing machinery announced in the Budget 2014-15

·     Help desk “Investors Portal” has been set up to assist the prospective investors/ entrepreneurs to facilitate investments in the Food Processing sector.

·     Skill Development initiative taken by the Ministry in consultation with National Skill Development Council and identified 7 sectors ( Bakery, Dairy, Grain Processing, Poultry, Refrigeration, Packaging, Quality Control) with the help of reputed industry partners to train 10,000 persons in the next 12 months.

·     E monitoring of National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) - Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched.

·     A study to set up of Solar Driers in Leh and Kargil of Ladakh region of J&K State has been commissioned and nearing completion.

·     5 Nos of Mega Food Parks approved in the states of Bihar, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

·     83 proposals received in respect of Expression of Interest received for setting up of new mega food parks.

·     3 Nos of cold chain projects operational in Kolkata, Udamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand and Mumbai, Maharashtra.

·     20 new cold chain projects been sanctioned.

Way Forward

·     Explore new scheme for infrastructure and cluster development of perishables.

·     Facilitate solutions to industries for the issues related to FSSAI.

Ministry is committed to facilitate and act as a catalyst to attract investments from within India and abroad into Food Processing sector.

[Source: PIB (MOFPI) Press Release dated 22nd September 2014]