Food processing sector growing at about 9 per cent annually: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

NEW DELHI: The food processing sector is growing at a rate of about 9 per cent annually, higher than the agriculture expansion, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

The government is taking a number of initiatives which would help double the growth rate of the sector in coming few years, the Food Processing Minister said at a conference here.

"The food processing sector is growing at the rate of 9 per cent per annum, higher than the growth of agriculture sector. In coming few years, I am confident with the number of initiatives we are taking the growth rate is to be doubled," Badal said.

The minister said that in coming years the sector will play an important role as land under agriculture is decreasing and population is increasing.

Badal also released the first ever food map of the country providing information on availability of fruits and vegetables pan India.

"We need to aim for higher standards in food processing to guard the population against inflation. For that we need to prepare a National Food Grid," she said.

"The first step towards this has been taken with the launch of fruit and vegetable availability map of the country which puts forth an overview of production and availability scenario of key food commodities," Badal added.