After a decade of missed opportunities in the food processing sector, the ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) is set to revise its plans and schemes to rejuvenate the sector growth with focus upon small and medium scale units at the farm level.

The ministry has asked the stakeholders to submit their views about the framework based on which the schemes and plans would be implemented so that the desired growth would be achieved in the next decade.

MoFPI is proposing the framework of a new scheme to be implemented for sustainable growth and development of food processing sector, with aim to reduce the post-harvest losses of perishables including fruits and vegetables, increase availability of processed and value-added food products, technology promotion, ‘upgradation’ and dissemination, and post-harvest management and processing in consonance with diverse agroclimatic conditions, according to a notice issued by the ministry.

The framework would be aimed at setting up of micro-, small- and medium-scale food processing enterprises in its entire value chain including grading, sorting, primary processing, storage including cold storage, business incubation-cum-training centres, and food processing facilities.

However, there is no time-frame for release of the framework and according to industry experts this is a kind of revision of the food processing policy. “It would be a renewed new food processing policy. The ministry has sought suggestions for improvement in the schemes and we hope it would be implementing them soon,” hoped N M Kejriwal, chairman, Agri Business Committee, PHD Chambers.

Meanwhile, the All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA) has sought a new vision document with yearly review for next decade with a more cluster-based approach.

Further, the notice by MoFPI states that the framework was aimed at formulating such scheme which could provide gainful employment and income augmentation of rural population by creating opportunities in the food processing sector, accelerating production of processable varieties of fruits & vegetables through active involvement of farmers and in collaboration with the SHGs, farmers producers organisations, cooperatives, state organisations and private sector enterprises.

It added that the proposed framework was aimed at popularising existing R&D and applied research in production and processes, establishing convergence and synergy among ongoing plan programmes and stakeholders for sustainable development of food processing, promotion of innovative pilot projects and mainstreaming of successful pilots relating to value-added food products, providing infrastructure and linkage for marketing, processing and value addition, as forward linkage for the farmers’ enterprises.