The government on Friday said that the country could emerge as “global food basket” with the advances being made in food processing.
Minister for food processing industries Chirag Paswan, said, “the sector holds endless opportunities, and with focused innovation, we can not only meet our own needs but also establish India as a global food basket”.
“So far, we have not been able to tap and explore the sector fully. In terms of exports and processing, we are nowhere at present although there is endless scope to develop further,” Paswan said at the SUFALAM event organised by National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management-Kundli, Haryana.
He said the ministry is committed to enhancing India’s food processing capacity, empowering farmers, and supporting the industry at every step.. Paswan said that various schemes to promote food processing have helped reduce post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables in the last five years.
“With rising food demands and limited land, the challenge before us is not just to feed a growing population—but to do so sustainably and efficiently. The Ministry is actively supporting the sector through a slew of measures, focusing on increasing production, reducing wastage, and building robust infrastructure,” Subrata Gupta, secretary, ministry of food processing industries, said.
Gupta noted the challenge of feeding a growing global population, expected to increase by 2 billion from the current 8 billion. He stated that 77% of agricultural land is used to grow food for animals, which provides only 18% of calories and 37% of proteins consumed by humans.
More than 250 startups from 23 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, are participating in the two day conclave.