MoFPI launches agri-business booklet; implements mega food park scheme

The ministry of food processing industries took the following measures to improve India’s food processing industries:

• The ministry launched a new centrally-sponsored scheme, the National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP), during the Twelfth Five-year Plan to be implemented through the governments of governments of states and Union Territories (UTs). Some of the ongoing schemes of the ministry have been subsumed in the NMFP in addition to the new components. The major objective of the scheme is decentralisation of implementation of the ministry’s schemes, which will lead to substantial participation of states’/UTs’ governments. This will not only provide better outreach for the schemes of the ministry, but also allow the ministry to focus on policy issues relating to food processing sector, and
• A booklet, titled “Opportunities in Agri-business - State profile”, has been released to provide information, particularly to investors, about infrastructure facilities for setting up food processing units, availability of raw materials, marketing infrastructure, sector-specific state agencies and fiscal incentives in a user-friendly mode

The ministry implemented the following schemes to make the food processing industry globally competitive:

• The mega food park scheme aims to provide excellent infrastructure for the food processing sector along the value chain, especially for perishable like fruit and vegetables. This is aimed at making food processing economically more viable and generating large employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas;
• The scheme for integrated cold chain, value addition and preservation infrastructure aims to encourage the setting up of cold chain facilities to provide integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure facilities without a break from the farm gate to the consumer;
• The scheme to set up/modernise abattoirs provides for induction of private capital, better technology, and backward and forward linkages. The scheme also provides for implementation of projects, preferably under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode with the involvement of local bodies and has the flexibility for the involvement of private investors/exporters on a build-own-operate (BOO)/build-operate-transfer (BOT)/joint venture (JV) basis;
• The technology upgradation, establishment or modernisation of food processing industries is being implemented for the setting up of new units, upgradation and modernisation of technology of the existing units in the food processing sector;
• The scheme for quality assurance, Codex, research and development (R&D) and other promotional activities is being implemented to create infrastructure of food testing laboratories in the country to establish quality monitoring system for food processing, implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), International Standards Organisation (ISO) 22000, ISO14000, good hygiene practices (GHP), good manufacturing practices (GMP) and other quality management systems and to promote research and development for innovative products and process etc., and
• The scheme for human resource development is being implemented to augment the supply of trained manpower and personnel at all levels for the food processing sector

This information was given by Charan Das Mahant, minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha