Government mulls a comprehensive food policy

NEW DELHI: The government is considering framing a comprehensive policy for the food sector that would help enhance farmers' income and provide processed food products to consumers at affordable rates.

Addressing a conference of the All India Food Processors Association, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal stressed on the need to further strengthen the linkage of the farms with the market and industry.

"I think there should be a one comprehensive food policy, which encompasses policies for agriculture, distribution of food and food processing, that is the need of the hour and we are thinking on those lines," Badal said.

She emphasised upon the need to make agriculture a more profitable profession so that farmers are able to raise their income levels.

Badal said the government plans to establish a task force to prepare a vision for the food processing sector by 2020.

"So it is an ongoing process, we want to create such environment where farmers income level rises, promotes processing and at the same time, food products for consumers are available at affordable prices," she said.

Badal also informed that government is taking steps to ease product approval system of food regulator FSSAI and working on a new mechanism where manufacturers may not need approval for their products if ingredients are cleared.