Govt goes for WGA to boost food processing

New Delhi Buoyed by impressive growth in the food processing industries in the last calendar year, the central government has begun working zealously to boost this sector. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is spearheading the promotion, but the ‘Whole-of-Government Approach’ (WGA) is a striking feature of the endeavor, official sources told Bizz Buzz.

In 2022, the food processing industries saw actual investment in 102 projects worth Rs15,679 crore. This was more than double of Rs7,236 crore in 72 projects in 2021. The rise was conspicuous because, as Bizz Buzz reported earlier, 2022 saw a sharp fall in industrial investment in 2022, when it came down to Rs250,064 crore from Rs347,978 crore in 2021. Evidently, the food processing industries are one of the very few bright spots in the otherwise grim scenario of manufacturing. The food processing industries have a huge employment potential and the capacity to boost such sectors as agriculture and dairying. These factors were taken into consideration when the government decided to go the whole hog for the promotion of this sector.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is coordinating with other Ministries to ensure that the sector doesn’t lose momentum. In fact, it is also reaching out to the envoys of other countries. For instance, it recently organized, along with the Ministry of External Affairs, a roundtable with the heads of foreign missions in India.

The meeting -co-chaired by Ministry of Food Processing Industries Secretary Anita Praveen and Ministry of External Affairs Special Secretary Prabhat Kumar - was attended by foreign envoys, officials from both Ministries, the Department of Commerce, the institutions concerned like APEDA and MPEDA, and industry bodies.

India’s vast resource base, the domestic market, technological prowess, institutional framework, etc., were highlighted at the meeting. As part of promoting the food processing industries, the government is organizing ‘World Food India 2023’ from November 3-5 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Millets, organic produce and indigenous processed food will be some of the focus areas, the sources said.