The All India Food Processors’ Association in support with the ministry of food processing industries recently organised its 73rd annual conference and national seminar on the theme “Vision 2025: Development of Food Processing Industries in Eastern India”. Minister-in-charge of food processing industries and Horticulture, West Bengal, Abdul Rezzak Mollah was the chief guest of the event.

“Bengal is lagging behind because processing is confined to fruits and vegetables only. There is a lot of scope in meat processing, because Bengal is the only place where slaughtering is allowed. We are expecting some big investment in food processing sector in this month,” said Abdul Rezzak Molla, minister-in-charge of food processing industries and horticulture, West Bengal.

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He informed that the state has ample scope for processing cereals and sea fish. But he expressed his concern about the central government taxation policies due to which the “big players” were not coming to this state.

Companies have complained that there is a dearth of good quality fruits and vegetables in West Bengal due to which they have to purchase them from other states. “Our state is a land-critical state. Hence we have to form such a society with the farmers, so that we can get our desired products from them,” said Molla.

He put a lot of stress on participatory farming saying that the industrialists, in order to extract the maximum result, should provide the farmers with adequate technologies and the required seeds. The keynote address was delivered by JP Meena, secretary of food processing industries, Government of India.

To promote setting up of food processing units in Eastern India, Meena declared, “Anybody setting up units in these areas will be eligible for an assistance of 35 per cent of plants and machineries for construction to the extent of maximum Rs 5 crore.”

Secretary of food processing industries and horticulture, Government of West Bengal, Nandini Chakraborty spoke about focus on the quality of raw produce and raising the hygiene and safety of processed food to global standards. She also emphasised on preventing post harvest loss. “We intend to develop three cold storage hubs, one in North Bengal, one in central West Bengal and one in South Bengal.”

President of AIFPA, S Jindal expressed his anticipation about the future options available in the eastern parts of India including Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and the seven states of the North-east. According to him, destitute condition of the farmers and inflation for the consumers was a problem which needed to be addressed in the Eastern region.

The seminar also gave away annual awards and scholarships to people who have done significant work in the field of food processing and students who have done paramount research on studies related to processing.

The most important of them was the Kashalkar Memorial Award for 2016, which is given to any person who has rendered outstanding services for the development of food processing industry in the country.
Anil K. Rajput, senior vice-president of corporate affairs at ITC Ltd, was conferred with this award which carried a gold medal and a citation. Other awards included Shailendra Krishna Memorial Award 2016, Dr JS Prathi Memorial Award 2016, and AIFPA Lifetime Achievement Award among others.