Separate policy for food processing sector on cardsJuly 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government is planning to formulate a separate policy for the country's food processing industry and to scale up research and development (R&D) activities in the sector, Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said here Friday. "The government is planning to call a meeting of state food processing ministers after the conclusion of the current parliament session to seek their views in formulating a separate food processing policy," Sahai said.
Polish food processing industry to explore India investment optionsJuly 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A delegation from the Polish food processing industry is likely to visit India to explore investment opportunities in this country and especially in Bihar, according to a senior official of the embassy of Poland. Participating in the International Summit on Food Processing and Agribusiness here Wednesday, Polish embassy official M.M.
Erratic monsoon not to hurt food processing sector: ministerJuly 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The erratic monsoon this year will not hurt the country's food processing sector as there was enough surplus produce for value addition, according to Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai. "In India, the (food) processing level is still very low - at only around 10 percent," Sahai told reporters on the sidelines of a function held here Friday to launch the Ministry of Food Processing Industries' new magazine.
Budget will spur growth in food processing sector: MinisterJuly 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's proposal of investment-linked tax incentives for setting up cold chain infrastructure and warehousing facilities will greatly help the food processing industry in the country, said Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai. "I propose to extend investment-linked tax incentives to the businesses of setting up and operating cold chain, warehousing facilities for storing agricultural produce and the business of laying and operating cross-country natural gas or crude or petroleum oil pipeline network for distribution on common carrier principle," Mukherjee said in parliament Monday while presenting the union budget.
Railways to set up cold storages, run fruit-vegetable trainsJuly 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Railways have decided to run special trains for perishables and set up cold storages and temperature-controlled cargo centres in an effort to eliminate food wastage and contribute to India's second green revolution. "Railways will encourage creation of facilities of setting up cold storage and temperature-controlled perishable cargo centres and its transportation through public-private partnership mode," Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said while presenting the rail budget in the Lok Sabha Friday.
Government plans to launch 350 food processing unitsJuly 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will help set up 350 new food processing units in the next 100 days as part of its efforts to create 10 million jobs in the sector by 2015. "We will extend financial help of up to 25 percent or a maximum of Rs.50 lakh (Rs.5 million) in setting up each of these units," Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said here Wednesday while releasing his ministry's 100-day action plan.
Food processing sector may get tax holiday, hopes ministerJune 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The food processing industry has the potential to become the engine growth of the economy and it may get a 10-year tax holiday to attract more investments, Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahay said Monday. "The food processing sector can be the growth engine of the economy, and is eligible for a 10-year tax holiday," Sahay said here at a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Venture capital fund, bank mooted for food processing sectorJune 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Agreeing to industry's demand for access to more credit at competitive rates, the government is examining a proposal to set up a venture capital fund or a bank for the food processing sector. "Entrepreneurs face difficulties in getting bank loans because this is a perishable goods industry," Food Processing Industries Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said here Friday.
Industry inputs sought to boost food processing sectorJune 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government has sought the food processing industry's support to set a 100-day target for the sector. "We are in the preparatory process of setting a 100-day target for the food processing sector and are seeking inputs from the industry," Food Processing Industries Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said here Friday after chairing a meeting of industry representatives.
Chavan's hands will be fullMay 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Prithviraj Chavan's hands will be full with the most number of portfolios, while two ministers have been promoted to cabinet level. Besides being MoS in the PMO, Chavan is MoS (independent charge) for personnel, public grievances and pensions, a portfolio which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had kept with himself in the previous government.
Nine ministers retain portfoliosMay 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - As many as nine ministers, including seven Cabinet rank and two ministers of state with independent charge, whom Prime Minister Manmohan Singh distributed portfolios Thursday evening have retained the ministries they had in the previous government. Senior Maharashtra leader Sushil Kumar Shinde retains the power ministry, S.
Bihar, Jharkhand MPs fear under-representationMay 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - MPs from Bihar and Jharkhand fear under-representation in the union cabinet as the Congress has won just three seats in the two states that together send 54 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The two Congress seats in Bihar, where the party contested on its own, were won by veteran Dalit leader Meira Kumar in Sasaram and first-timer Mohammad Asrarul Haque in Kishangarh.
After IT, BT, it is time for FT revolution: SahaiFebruary 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - 'Doctor sahab, aap hamein kahaan chutney-bhaji mein phasaya (why have you got me stuck in this chutney-bhaji business)?' Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he was given this portfolio after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power. And the prime minister had replied: 'Sahai sahab, you can become the backbone of the agriculture sector.'
Now, as his term comes to an end with elections round the corner, Sahai leaves with the belief that the food processing sector is the next big thing in the Indian economy.
'India will become food factory of the world'February 26th, 2009 HARIDWAR - With the food processing industry in India growing 13.7 percent annually, India is set to be become the food factory of the world, says Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai. 'While the manufacturing sector growth in the country has gone down from 7 percent to 6 percent, the food processing sector is growing a a robust 13.7 percent,' Sahai said at the foundation laying ceremony of the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park at village Padartha near here Wednesday afternoon, one of the 10 mega food parks that are being set up in the next two years in the country under the 11th Five-Year Plan.
India's first mega food park at HaridwarFebruary 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's first mega food park is to come up at Haridwar in Uttarakhand, yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yog Peeth said Friday. The Patanjali Food and Herbal Park will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Food processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai Feb 25, a press statement said.
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