Food Processing Industry Output on Rise

The growth rate of gross value added in food processing industries has increased from 1.91% in 2013-14 to 5.78% in 2014-15 at constant prices.

NEW DELHI, 9 AUGUST 2016: Further, as per the Annual Survey of Industries 2013-14, the food processing industry as compared to other industries in the registered sector has the largest number of factories and engages largest number of employees. Further, as per Annual Survey of Industries 2013-14 the total number of persons engaged in registered food processing sector is 17.41 lakh which constitutes 11.69 per cent of employment generated in all registered factory sector. As per the NSSO 67^th Round, 2010-11 unregistered food processing sector provides employment to 47.9 lakh workers.

Dr. Saumitra Chaudhuri Committee in 2012 constituted by the then Planning Commission had indicated cold storage requirement of 61 million tonnes. The present capacity of cold storage is estimated at around 32 million tonnes in the country.

The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana has estimated the annual value of harvest and post-harvest losses of major agricultural produces at national level to be of the order of Rs. 92,651 Crore calculated using production data of 2012-13 at 2014 wholesale prices.

In addition to operationalisation of 4 Mega Food Parks and 29 Cold Chain Projects during 2016-17, Government has also approved setting up of 100 cold chain projects and 250 units under the scheme of creation/expansion of food processing and preservation. The projects set up under the Schemes of this Ministry are granted financial assistance at a higher rate in difficult areas and North East Region as compared to general areas.