Government's Food Processing Initiatives Drive Productivity and Sustainability, Ensuring Food Security

The PhD Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the Food Processing Summit 2023 with the theme, Ensuring Food Security through Processing and Export (2023: International Year of Millets) on August 21, 2023. During the event, government officials emphasized the importance of boosting food security and productivity in India. 

Minhaj Alam, IAS, Additional Secretary, MOFPI, Govt. of India

Minhaj Alam, IAS, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), addressed the gathering, highlighting the government's initiatives and upcoming flagship event, "World Food India (WFI)," aimed at incentivizing processors and entrepreneurs to expand globally.

Addressing the audience, Alam stressed the need to minimize wastage in the food processing sector, revealing that only 10% of India's produced food undergoes processing.

To combat this challenge, the MOFPI has launched schemes tailored to different categories, such as PMFME for the micro sector and PMKSY for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Notably, over 1000 projects have been approved under PMKSY, and PMFME has already supported around 45,000 micro-units, with a target of over 2 lakh units. These schemes aim to streamline the food processing sector and empower entrepreneurs.

Despite the government's proactive measures, several challenges within the food processing industry were acknowledged, including supply chain inefficiencies, food safety concerns, market demand fluctuations, and sustainability issues. These challenges call for concerted efforts and action from all stakeholders to ensure a robust and sustainable food processing ecosystem.

Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary, APEDA, highlighted the significance of processing and export in the context of the International Year of Millets. He emphasized that India possesses natural advantages, particularly in clusters, that entrepreneurs can leverage to achieve greater heights. 

Dr Sudhanshu acknowledged the government's favorable environment for processors through various initiatives and schemes, such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has been instrumental in scaling operations. However, he emphasized the need for significant efforts in tertiary processing and encouraged consolidation and coordinated efforts to drive actual progress.

The summit also witnessed discussions on the publicizing of millet, showcasing the potential of the millet industry in India. Entrepreneurs have introduced numerous innovative products, demonstrating the country's capabilities and the untapped potential of its entrepreneurs. Dr Sudhanshu urged continued development and improvement in this sector, urging the PHDCCI to compile critical takeaways from the event, outlining the necessary actions for the future.

Saurabh Singhal, Co-Chair of, Agribusiness Committee, PHDCCI

Saurabh Singhal, Co-Chair of the Agribusiness Committee at PHDCCI, expressed that while the Indian food and agriculture industry has made significant strides in the past three decades, there is still untapped potential in yield, processing, and exports.

He stressed the need for a robust processing and storage infrastructure to ensure the freshness and availability of farm produce throughout the year. With sustainable solutions for agriculture and processing, India aims to become a powerhouse in the sector by 2030.

The Food Processing Summit 2023 was sponsored by the MOFPI, APEDA, ITC Ltd, D S Group, Bionutrients India Pvt Ltd., NIFTEM-Kundli (NIFTEM-K) as the knowledge partner, and the Small Farmers' Agriculture Consortium (SFAC) as the FPO partner. Krishi Jagran, along with pro-MFG, served as the media partner, and PHDCCI annual sponsors, including prominent companies in various industries, supported the event.