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To achieve the Policy
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West Bengal Food Processing Industry Policy
To develop the Food Processing Sector, the State will endeavour to :
i) Setting up of the West Bengal Food Processing Development Council:
To set the norms and advise the State Government on various aspects pertaining to the development of Food Processing Industries in the State, the West Bengal Food Processing Development Council (FPDC) will be set up with the Chief Secretary as the Chairman, Principal Secretary/Secretary, the Dept. of Food Processing Industries as the Vice-chairman, Director, Directorate of FPI as the Membersecretary and following as the members:
1. Various Depts. of the State Govt. having stake in the development of FPI in the State.
2. Research Institutes & Universities and Academia
3. Representatives from the Food Processing Industries
4. Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce
5. Financial institutions.
6. Director, The Directorate of Food Processing Industries Member-secretary
WBFPDC will advise the State Government in formulating its policies and programmes for furthering the cause of Food Processing Industries in the West Bengal.
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for examination of technical feasibility of different projects on food processing industries will continue to operate under the Department of Food Processing Industries and Horticulture.
ii) Simplification & Harmonization of law, rules and procedure:
- amend, simplify and harmonise application of all Acts, Rules and Regulations governing the sector to fast track setting up of Food Processing Industries,
- process proposals received for investment under the Food Processing Sector in a time frame manner so determined by WBFPDC,
- ensure strict implementation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and other such Acts, Rules and Regulations for production of processed food of highest quality and standard.
iii) Generation of rural employment:
- identifying and fine tuning the traditional food processing skills under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) to match and meet the requirements of the modern Food Processing sector,
- setting up of agro-processing units close to the source/centers of raw material production by creating common infrastructure facilities for processing,
- special incentives, like, grant/subsidy to small and marginal farmers, women entrepreneurs for creating infrastructure/setting up of units for value addition,
- encourage setting up of electronic connectivity to enable growers/ producers to access national and international markets,
iv) Creation of Infrastructure and Linkages:
a. Infrastructure:
- a comprehensive Infrastructure Development Plan will be put into place within a fixed time frame to provide speedy access to the food parks/agri-export zones with the nearest State/National Highway, Marketing Centres and nearest Airport, Railway Station/ Seaport as well as with other centres of production, both for movement of primary raw materials and processed end products,
- power distribution system will be strengthened to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the processing industries Food- Agro Technology Parks and Agri Export Zones through dedicated feeder lines,
- the State shall set up a committee of experts to suggest on optimum size of land for setting up of various types of Food Processing Units,
b. Linkages:
- the state shall actively encourage formation of Farmers’/ Growers’ cooperatives for linkage between production and processing,
- strategies for crop diversification will be worked out to make agricultural production market driven and conducive for use in the processing industries.
- the State will encourage and give priority in building symbiotic partnership between the producers/growers with the Food Processing Industries for mutual benefit of both the sectors.
- The State will make necessary arrangement for development of market/mandi for linkage between producer/grower and processors.
v) R&D activities and linkage with Universities:
- conduct field level studies/surveys by the administrative Departments to improve “food technology information base” of the State,
- encourage networking of organizations/stakeholders, particularly with the research institutions for development and implementation of appropriate processing technologies, modernisation and up gradation of the existing manufacturing/processing plants and units for large scale production of scientific and hygienic processed food, development of traditional and innovative products which are market driven.
vi) Quality Control:
- encourage and provide assistance to public and private sector, particularly the small and medium units to adopt latest quality assurance measures, such as, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazards Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and ISO 9000. Individual Quick Freezing (IQF), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Total Quality Management (TQM), Food Labelling, Food Packaging and Irradiation Technology etc. for production of safe and hygienic products.
- The Government shall facilitate setting up of new and up gradation of the existing Food Testing Facilities for food quality assurance at par with the international standards,
- Adoption of new technologies, such as genetically modified planting seeds, organically produced inputs and bio-technological tools/ advancements in production of raw materials after standardisation by GoI or its designated organisation.
- Modernisation and up gradation of rice mills and husking mills will be fast tracked to enable reduce wastages, production of more nutritious rice and other rice based by products.
vii) Creation of Cold Chain/pre and post harvest net work:
- the Govt. will actively support creation cold chain, pre and post harvest net work near the production sites for meaningful utilisation of these facilities;
- the Govt. shall treat cold chain, pre and post harvest net work infrastructures in the private/public sector as a part of the processing industry and shall award priority sector status in providing of power, water connections, etc.
- Public-Private Partnership will be encouraged to establish cold chain, pre and post harvest net work infrastructures,
- creation of primary processing facilities within an area of 25 Kms of the center of raw material production and management of such centers by trained rural people/ SHGs/ Farmers’ groups and on cooperative basis will be encouraged.
viii) Development of skill and enterprise of the producers / growers:
- to meet the growing shop floor demand of the Food Processing Industries Sector for trained and skilled technical personnel, academic and professional training institutes will be encouraged to develop training programmes and make changes in the existing curriculum to include Food Processing as a subject,
- capacity building of PRIs, NGOs, Farmers Organisations, Cooperatives, Self Help Groups including women and persons belonging to the backward classes and minority communities will be fast tracked,
- priority will be accorded to women's role in food sector through their capacity building and access to inputs such as land, credit and technology for setting up FPIs.
- training centers will be established with the help of NGOs for imparting training to all the stakeholders;
- holding of Agro Food Expositions, Conferences and Seminars with the stakeholders for wide scale dissemination of information/knowledge and adoption of technology will be encouraged.
- For the purpose of development of entrepreneurship, transfer of technology and quality control, a Centre for Technology Business Incubator will be established.
ix) Facilitating environment for investment:
- conduct studies and surveys to gather and market intelligence. A separate cell will be opened in the Department of Food Processing Industries to pass on marketing information.
- the Govt. will take steps to improve market efficiency through amendment of existing and or adopt new Acts/Rules and Regulations to facilitate investment,
- encourage private sector investment for development of marketing infrastructure,
- fiscal initiatives/interventions, like, rationalization of tax structure, financial incentives, etc., will be introduced to facilitate setting up of the Processing Industries as well as to remove the disparity between the branded and unbranded products,
- A Packaging Development Centre will be established for promotion of low cost packaging and common service for processing.
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