By IANS,
New Delhi : In a bid to streamline the meat and poultry processing industry in the country, the government Thursday launched the National Meat and Poultry Processing Board (NMPPB) here.
“This new board would address issues related to the production of clean and hygienic meat and meat products,” Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said at the launch function.
“The board will also go a long way in helping the rural economy through employment generation,” he said.
According to the minister, NMPPB will also work towards raising domestic standards in meat and poultry processing to international levels, develop uniform and effective meat quality testing systems and address environmental pollution issues arising out of the conditions now prevailing in the meat industry.
Sahai said that with no facilities in the country for utilising animal waste products and adding value to these, there is a need to establish plants in cities for tackling this problem and reduce the problem of pollution and waste disposal.
Among the key areas of work of the NMPPB is helping the meat industry in setting up and modernising abattoirs by providing technical consultancy for production of hygienic meat and meat products, and utilisation of slaughterhouse wastes to prepare animal by-products with value addition.
The board will also set up quality control laboratories and analytical laboratories for meat and meat products to meet the required domestic and international market standards.
Other issues falling within the mandate of the NMPPB are:
– To set up a mechanism for implementation of existing regulations and laws in India on meat and meat production, processing and marketing;
– To undertake market surveys and help the industry to create market intelligence, data base and its dissemination on a regular basis for improvement of the meat sector;
– To provide help for research and for setting up training institutions to train workers, technicians and managers in meat and meat processing industry;
– To help the industry establish infrastructure for backward and forward linkages for traceability of the meat and poultry processing sector;
– To work as a central hub to address issues relating to meat and poultry processing sector for its systematic and proper development.
The new board will be set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, to ensure accountability, scrutiny and audit.
Speaking to reporters after the function, Sahai said that the new board would have 19 members.
“There will be nine non-official members while the other members will be representatives from various ministries and state governments,” he said.
While an eminent professional from the meat industry will be chairman of the board, there will be four members each from the livestock and poultry producers and meat processors and exporters.
There will be one member each from the foor processing industries, agriculture and commerce ministries.
Four members from different state governments will be present in the board by rotation while two members will represent training and research institutions working in the area of livestock and meat production.
The chief executive will also be a board member.
The cabinet had in December given the approval for the setting up of the board with an outlay of Rs.14.64 crore (Rs.146.4 million).
“We will fund the board for the first three years and thereafter the board will have to have a revenue generating model, which may include the industry,” Sahai said.
Stating that the creation of the NMPPB will help attract foreign investment in the meat and poultry processing sector, the minister said: “Meat and poultry processing is a virgin sector in India.”