Discuss the role of the food processing industry in reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring food security in India. Illustrate with examples.

Answer: Model Answer approach

The potential of the food processing industry is the primary heading of the question. Additionally, to improve it, support your arguments with schemes or other data. 

Overview: Describe what food processing is.  Give government statistics about the food processing sector. 

• The use of machinery, energy, and tools to turn agricultural products—such as grains, meats, vegetables, fruits, and milk—into food ingredients or processed food items is known as food processing. One of the biggest food processing industries in the world, India’s output is predicted to reach $535 billion by 2025–2026. (Food Processing Industry Ministry)

Body: The Food Processing Industry’s Potential Write the different dimensions that the question asks for.  You can support your arguments using case studies, government regulations, or any other facts to provide value.  

The food processing industry’s potential

• The nutritional value and shelf life of fresh fruits can be maintained by processing them into dried fruits, preserves, or juices. By turning milk into cheese, a dairy farmer can use extra milk and cut down on losses, improving food security.
• Growing tomatoes allows a farmer to add value to the raw product by processing it into sauces, ketchups, or canned tomatoes. India processed 130,000 tonnes of tomatoes in 2015, according to the World Processing Tomato Council.
• The effective transit of processed goods around the nation is supported by the construction of transportation networks and cold storage facilities.

Give a forward-looking conclusion by discussing how the food processing sector will increase agricultural output, outlining government programs to support the sector, and relating it to India’s aspiration to become a developed country by 2047.

• By encouraging market diversity, cutting waste, developing cutting-edge products, and opening doors to international markets, the food processing sector is a revolutionary force that significantly increases the value of agricultural produce. India’s aim to become a developed country by 2047 will be aided by government programs such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), and the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme.

Practice Question

Question: To what extent can the food processing industry contribute to achieving India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047? Discuss with reference to employment, rural development, and brand building.

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