“There are a lot of things that need to be developed across different agricultural pockets from north to south of Bengal. Malda is famous for its mangoes and lychee while the demand for oranges from Darjeeling moves upwards. There is another healthy product called Makhana that has gained popularity globally. The food processing units leverage technological innovations and help reshape the scenario.”
Emphasizing on the health hazards experienced by people due to the consumption of improper food products, OSD & state Commissioner of Food Safety under Health & Family Welfare Department Tapan Kanti Rudra said, “The industry is ever flourishing and our role is regulatory. We stand as facilitators to the sector. We look after creating logistics, human resource development, and sharing knowledge and information.”
Rudra mentioned that the alarming rise of non-communicable disease is a concern. “Food borne diseases affect 60 crore people worldwide while 200 types of water borne disease spread across worldwide,” Rudra said, adding “Large scale prevalence of anaemia has also surfaced. A survey conducted between 2014-15 indicated that 54 percent of children in the age group of 0-5 years suffer from anaemia. This indicates that our cereals are lacking micronutrients.”
“The FSSAI has notified food standards mentioning the standards of food. Food fortification has been undertaken to cure anaemia. Moreover, 2023 has been declared as the International Year of millet. Millet-based food products are healthy and in highs demand. Food sample analysis is another measure to ensure good quality of food. We have three food testing labs. Mobile food testing labs are also functional these days,” Rudra said.
Sharing different initiatives and policies initiated by the West Bengal government to ensure development in the food and agricultural sector, state Director Food Processing Industries Kasturi Sengupta stated, “The West Bengal government has undertaken different activities to support its agricultural sector. It is the largest producer of rice and the second largest producer of potato in India. The industrial policy has put focus on agro-based products. The state has supported participatory farming to grow fruits and vegetables by entrepreneurs.” “Apart from introducing the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme, it is providing subsidies for common infrastructure, branding and marketing. The state has also introduced the West Bengal Food Processing Unit in 2021. We will extend all possible support to the ones interested in investing in the department,” Sengupta said.Speaking on consumer behaviour and small-scale entrepreneurs D Bandyopadhyay, Managing Director, Herald Food & Commodities Private Limited, stated, “Despite all odds, the food sector is trying to develop and excel in West Bengal. The eastern region is quite rich in agricultural production and dependent on agriculture. Secondly, consumer behaviour is rapidly changing. Our vision needs to change and launch new products acceptable by the current consumers. We are focusing on the next generation entrepreneurs.”
Shaurya Veer Himatsingka, ICC member & owner of Elmac Foods, said, “India being rich in the agricultural domain is slated to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate of 99.4 percent between 2022 to 2027…From AI to machine learning, Assamese agriculturists are using these technologies in their efforts towards sustainable practices.”
ICC hosted the West Bengal Food Processing Conclave on Thursday with primary focus on technological upgradation and awareness of financial schemes in the state’s agricultural sector.
