Southern States
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Tamil Nadu
Policy soon to harmonise food processing laws
By Our Staff Reporter
CHENNAI, DEC. 8. The draft of the national food processing policy seeking to harmonise the laws governing the sector is to be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval by month-end.
The policy would lay the ground for the proposed Processed Food Development Act and the Processed Food Development Authority, Mr.D.P.Tripathi, Secretary to the Ministry, told press persons after inaugurating Foodpro 2001, fourth food and food technology event of the Confederation of Indian Industry here today.
Underscoring the need for rationalisation of sales tax on the sector, he said the policy would ``basically cover issues related to policy-level intervention''. The Law Ministry had cleared the Processed Food Development Act. Issues related to food safety would, however, continue to be under the purview of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The Processed Food Development Authority would be a statutory authority with representation to stakeholders including industry, State Governments and research laboratories.
These were some of the initiatives of the Centre to give an impetus to the growth of the `sunrise' sector. Already, it was declared a priority area and most of it delicensed.
Mr. Tripathi said the Ministry had already approved 20 food park projects including the one in the private sector near Madurai. Conceived on the lines of industrial estates, the parks would facilitate the growth of small and medium enterprises with provision of common laboratories, effluent treatment plants and cold storage. The Ministry would extend a grant of Rs. 4 crores towards the infrastructure.
`Farmers must diversify'
In his inaugural speech, he underscored the need for the farming community diversifying into horticulture and cultivation of cash crops such as oilseeds and pulses.
In her theme address, Ms.Mallika Srinivasan, chairperson, Foodpro 2001, said the event including a four-day exhibition provided a forum for all stakeholders to ``take stock, showcase existing capabilities and capacities, review and strategise for the way forward'' leveraging the natural endowments and position of the country as the `Global Food Factory'.
A three-point road map for ushering in a food revolution including creation of an environment conducive to the rapid growth of the food processing sector had been chalked out by the CII. Improving the productivity and efficiency of agriculture and the food processing sector and creation and implementation of an aggressive, highly focussed export strategy were the other features of the strategy.
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