GS Question

The Government of India has implemented several policies and initiatives to address the challenges faced by the food processing sector. These measures aim to promote investment, enhance competitiveness, ensure food safety and quality, and boost exports. Some key policies and initiatives are:

1. National Food Processing Policy (NFPP): The government launched the NFPP in 2017 to attract investments in the food processing industry and create employment opportunities. It focuses on setting up food parks, agro-processing clusters, and infrastructure development.

2. Mega Food Parks Scheme: Under this scheme, the government provides financial assistance for the creation of modern infrastructure facilities for the food processing industry. The objective is to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance value addition, and ensure quality standards.

3. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY): This scheme aims to develop modern infrastructure and agro-processing clusters throughout the country. It integrates existing schemes and provides financial assistance to create infrastructure, promote innovation, and skill development.

4. Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA): The government enacted the FSSA to ensure food safety, quality assurance, and consumer protection. It established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to regulate and oversee the food industry's compliance with the standards.

5. Make in India and Export Promotion: The Make in India initiative promotes manufacturing, including the food processing sector, by easing regulations, attracting investments, and improving the ease of doing business. The government also focuses on promoting food exports through various trade facilitation measures and promoting Indian food products globally.

6. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy: The government allows 100% FDI under the automatic route for many food processing activities. This policy encourages foreign investments in the sector, fostering technology transfer, and increasing employment opportunities.

7. Research and Development (R&D): The government supports R&D initiatives to develop new technologies and processes in the food processing sector. Institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and various state agricultural universities work towards improving productivity, post-harvest management, and food processing techniques.

8. Skill Development and Training: The government emphasizes skill development through various schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana to enhance the human resource capabilities in the food processing industry.

These policies and initiatives aim to address challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, low value addition, lack of food safety standards, and limited market access. By promoting investments, infrastructure development, and increased value addition, the government aims to ensure the sustainable growth of the food processing sector in India.