Lok Sabha Question No. 2677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Growth of FPIs
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY, OM PRAKASH YADAV

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2677

ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MAY, 2016

## GROWTH OF FPIs

2677.    SHRIMATI PRATUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH: SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY: SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Food Processing Industries (FPIs) has witnessed a steady growth and has the potential to grow more across the country including Odisha and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  existing  standards  of  food  technology  in  FPI  are  adequate  to  meet  the standard  imposed  by the European and other developed countries  in respect of  imported food items  from  the  developed  countries  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  corrective measures taken/ proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether there are any schemes for upliftment of food processing industries/ companies which are small in size and unable to compete with big MNCs which invest heavily on research and  development  in  the  food  processing  sector  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (d) the  details  of  students  who  graduate  from  food technology  institutes  each  year  and  the availability  of  skilled  work  force  engaged  in  the  food  processing  industries  along  with  the initiatives taken by the Government to ensure sufficient skilled work force in this sector; and
- (e) whether the Government has taken any steps to strengthen the Indian Institute for Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) for harnessing the potential of food processing industries in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a) The average annual growth rate of Food Processing Industries was 3.93% during 2011-12 to  2014-15 at  current  prices.  The  growth  potential  of  food  processing  sector  is  very  high  as  the level  of  processing  in  perishable  products  in  India  is  estimated  only  at  2.1%  in  fruits  and vegetables, 35% in milk and milk products, 21% in meat, 6% in poultry and 23% in marine.

(b) Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), administered by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is mandated to evolve science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, and to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. FSSAI  has  issued  various  regulations  including  the  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Food  Products Standards  and  Food  Additives)  Regulations,  2011.  All  articles  of  food  whether  manufactured within  the  country  or  imported  are  required  to  comply  with  the  standards  laid  down  in  these regulations. The Schedule IV of Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011 prescribes the sanitary and hygienic requirements to be followed by all Food Processing Industries.

(c) Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been implementing the scheme of Mega Food Parks, wherein food processing units of both small and large sizes are located. The Ministry is also implementing  the  scheme  of  Cold  Chain,  Value  addition  and  preservation  infrastructure,  whose beneficiaries include small processing units as well.

(d) This Ministry has two academic cum - research institution viz. National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), at Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana and the Indian Institute of  Crop  Processing  Technology (IICPT) at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, which offer academic programmes at Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. in food processing. 60 students pass out from IICPT every year. From NIFTEM 85 students passed out in 2015.

As  per  the  Annual  Survey  of  Industries, 2013-14, total  number of persons  engaged  in Food Processing Industries was 17,41,034. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is working in close collaboration with Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI), the Sector Skill  Council  (SSC)  in  food  processing  and  regularly  guiding  and  assisting  it  in  achieving  its mandate. The Ministry is strengthening the SSC in this sector by helping in all possible ways to complete  the  validations  of  the  Qualification  Packs  (QPs)  for  each  job  role  that  have  been developed and also helping in development of the course curriculum through (NIFTEM).

(e) The  Paddy  Processing  Research  Center  was  upgraded  to  Indian  Institute  for  Crop Processing  Technology  (IICPT)  with  the  support  of  MoFPI  in  2008  through  an  upgradation project. Under the upgradation project, following facilities were created in IICPT

-  National  Accreditation  Board  for  Testing  and  Calibration  Laboratories  (NABL)  accredited Food Testing Laboratory;
-  Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Referral Lab;
-  Food Processing Business Incubation Center;
-  Academic Programs;
-  Research Laboratories; and
-  Administrative Building.

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