Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has said that Government is taking steps to establish one Mega Food Park in every State in the country. Speaking on the occasion of inauguration of 30th AAHAR International Food and Hospitality Fair organised by ITPO in the Capital on March 10, the minister said that Mega Food Park is the flagship programme for her Ministry and shall become a hub for food processing activities to provide a bridge from farm to fork.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that there was a great potential for value addition for farmers through food processing. Simultaneously this will also help in controlling food wastage and consumers will also get better prices. Thus, food processing is food saved. Noting that India was the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruits, vegetables and cereals, the Minister said that the present level of just 2% of processing of fruits and vegetables is extremely low and there was a great potential in increasing the same.
Earlier, Marek Sawicki, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Government of Poland, stated that Poland was in the process to launch several promotion campaigns in India to ensure that the food processed in Poland was easily available to consumers in India.
In his address, Ranglal Jamuda, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, highlighted salient features of the Aahar Fair wherein the total exhibition space of 45,000 sqm has been used and around 800 participants including more than 70 participants from abroad are participating. He informed that 22 countries are participating with six new entrants including Japan and Korea.