By IANS,
New Delhi: Minister for Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar has mooted setting up of a National Food Processing Mission to spur the sector’s growth rate from around 14 percent to 25 percent by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan that begins April 2012, an official said.
“On April 21 this year, at a meeting with the full Planning Commission, Minister for Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar called for a National Food Processing Industry Mission so that the industry can achieve a growth rate of around of 25 percent by the end of the 12th Plan period from around 14 percent now,” U. Venkateswarlu, joint secretary in the ministry, told a seminar here.
Venkateswarlu also urged representatives of the packaging, food processing and pharmaceutical industries to think of ways to manage post-use plastic and other non-biodegradable packaging materials in an environment-friendly way.
“There is nothing bad (about plastic or other non-biodegradable materials), it is bad only if it is not managed,” he said.
“If suppose the local milk booth offers consumers a small sum for returning used packets, the problem can be managed much better,” he pointed out.
Referring to a public interest litigation now in the Supreme Court seeking a complete ban on plastics, the official said: “Once the Supreme Court gives an order, we will all have to comply with it and there will be nothing that the ministry will be able to do to help the processing industry.”
However, if the industry players on their own put in place systems for collecting and recycling non-biodegradable packaging materials, then there could be case for persuading the apex court not to order a complete ban and instead call for some regulatory norms, he added.
The seminar Friday, on Innovations in Packaging for Food and Pharmaceuticals, was organised by the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP).