Punjab to be no.1 in food processing industry: Kairon

Chandigarh, August 25, 2013: First meeting of the State Food Processing Development Council (SFPDC) was held here today under the chairmanship Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon, Food and Civil Supplies and Food Processing Minister Punjab.  SFPDC has been constituted under National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP). The members of the Council are representatives of the industrial associations, farmer associations, banks and food processing experts from PAU, National Agro Biotechnology Institute (NABI) besides heads of various departments of State Government.

While addressing the meeting Kairon said that Centre could play a significant role in the development of Food Processing Industries and export of food items from the state. He asserted on the combined efforts by all to make Punjab as number one in Food Processing sector while assuring all necessary help from the State Government.

The Minister stressed that promotion of Food Processing was the objective of State but to safeguard the interests of producers was an equal responsibility. For this purpose, according to him, to bring in synchronization in the production and processing was the key factor so that there was not much volatility in prices of commodities. The Minister informed the Council that the State was conscious to the problems of the food processors and was trying to address them in the new food processing policy to be notified shortly.

The main function of the Council is to play advisory role in the policy making in the field of food processing sector.  Having wide-spread representation from the various stake-holders it is an ideal platform to evolve consensus to chalk-out the way forward for food processing areas. Besides this, the Council shall monitor the implementation of National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) on food processing.  Council could make recommendation to the State and Central Government to make adaptations to mission activities as felt necessary by it. 

Council deliberated at length on the status and scope of the Food Processing industry in the state. All the participants were unanimous that food processing is the key area for focus to bring resurgence in Punjab economy. The speakers from milk industry talked about rationalization of tax structure in milk arena. Another food processor talked about the high potential of export of processed vegetables such as tomato, carrot and beetroot. Establishment of a state of the art laboratory for agro/ food products with latest testing facilities by Punjab Bio-Technology Incubation Centre at Mohali attracted the attention of all participants. Dr. S S Marwaha, CEO of the organisation also expressed his views.