FOOD PROCESSING for Value Addition

JUNE 2021

VOLUME XXIV | ISSUE 06

FOOD PROCESSING For Value Addition

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 1 Contributing with unique solutions to the EcoAgriculture Revolution

All AlgaEnergy MicroAlgae solutions India Pvt Ltd products in India Noida One, Unit 216 & 217 are EcoCert Plot No-8, Block-B, Tower C, Sector-62 2 certificated AGRICULTURE TODAY NoidaJune 2021 · India June 2021 +911202975513 · [email protected] From the CEO’s Desk... President Dr. MJ Khan CEO & Group Editor Mamta Jain Group Executive Editor Food Processing - Route to Sustainability Rajni Shaleen Chopra Editor Agri News Food Processing is the transformation of any raw product of Sanjay Kumar agriculture, dairy, meat, poultry or fishing for an escalated commercial and consumption value along with shelf life. The Food Andhra Pradesh Processing Industry (FPI) is of enormous significance as it provides Satish Babu Gadde vital linkages and synergies between the two pillars of the economy, Assam i.e. agriculture and industry. Jyoti Bikash Nath Bihar Food processing has numerous advantages which are specific to Girendra Narayan the Indian context. Haryana · It provides direct and indirect Bijender Singh Dalal Employment Generation: employment opportunities because it acts as a bridge between Himachal Pradesh Agriculture and Industry. Rakesh Kumar · Doubling Farmers’ Income: With value addition through food Karnataka processing, there will be a commensurate rise in the price paid to Santosh Langer Maharashtra the farmer, increasing his income. Pasha Patel · Reduce food wastage: NITI Aayog estimated the annual post- Madhya Pradesh harvest losses of close to Rs 90,000 crore. With greater thrust on Rakesh Dubey proper sorting and grading close to the farm gate, and diverting Punjab extra produce to FPI, this wastage can be reduced, leading to better Puneet Singh Thind price realisation for farmers, e.g. frozen Safal peas are available Rajasthan throughout the year. Parvinder Singh Chauhan · Boosts Trade and Earns Foreign exchange: It is an important source of foreign exchange. For example, Indian Basmati rice is in

STATE HEADS OF ATG BUREAUS Tamil Nadu Raju Narasimman great demand in Middle Eastern countries. Telangana · Curbing Food Inflation: Processing increases the shelf life of Jaipal Reddy the food… thus keeping supplies in tune with the demand… thereby Uttar Pradesh controlling food-inflation. Umesh Shukla · Crop-diversification: Food processing will require different Uttarakhand types of inputs, thus creating an incentive for the farmer to grow and Narendra Singh Mehra diversify crops.

Admin & IT Head - Anil Way Forward for the Growth of Food Processing Industry IT Manager - Ankit · Storage capacities and infrastructure should be upgraded. · Assistant Editor - Rida There is need to develop the agrarian setup with practices that lead to diversification of crops. Business Manager - Tasmin · Backward linkages to farmers need to be made more robust. Graphic Designer - Abhishek · Effective contract farming models are

SUPPORT TEAM Circulation - Rajkumar needed to shield farmers from price volatility. · Skill development is required at farm gate and processing levels. Graphic Designer A. Rehman · Public investment and connectivity should be DESIGN encouraged and escalated. Publisher & Printer – Dr. MJ Khan on behalf of M/s Con- · There is need to encourage cept Agrotech Consultants Limited, Published from 306 our domestic start-ups and industry, Rohit house Tolstoy Road New Delhi-110001 and printed instead of promoting international by Everest Press E-49/8, Okhla Industrial Area-II New companies. Delhi-110020 Phone No. 011-23731129 Fax No.011- 23731130 · We need specific training institutes on E-mail: [email protected] technology for agri-entrepreneurs in [email protected] all states. The June edition deliberates upon all No part of this magazine can be reproduced, imitated or transmitted in any form, including electronic, mechanical, crucial aspects of the Food Processing photocopying, recording or any information stage retrieval Industry and the way forward for its growth. system or extracted in any way without permission from the publishers. Views expressed in the magazine need not Happy Reading necessarily be those of the Editor / Publisher.

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June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 3 08 Farmers’ Welfare

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Food Processing Industries, GOI The CEO’s Desk 03 From the PresIdent’s Desk 06 From the Executive Editor’s Desk 07 COVER STORY VOLUME XXIV | ISSUE 6 j u n e 2021 The BluePrint 11 16 Successful Cluster Approach Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiatives by Ministry of Food Processing Dr Chindi Vasudevappa Industries 12 Insight Trends in Packaged Food Industry 26 Support Systems Processed Food Compatibility of Indian Logistics 20 Infrastructure 32 The Road Ahead Future Wise Way to A Strong Agri Economy 38 mr Hemant Malik Industry Speak Role of Indian Sugar Sector 40 Ready Market, Fair Price Serving the Farmers and Consumers 42 New Horizons 22 Opportunities of Processed Poultry and Dairy Agri Vision products in India 44 Pradipta K. Sahoo Way To Grow SWOT Analysis Towards Policy Making 46 Agri Support Empowering Women Farmers 48 ONE PLANET One Health Driving Healthy Food Systems 50 28 Biz Study GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Top Agri-Business Management B-Schools In Mr Ram Kaundinya

Content India 52 Regulatory Support Fortification of Select Foods: FSSAI Regulations for Food Processing Industry 54 AT ANALYSIS 35 The Vital Link Between Agriculture & Industry 58 AUgrindersta Concerndinsng Brainstorm Value Addition Execution Time for India Inc 60 Mr Tarun Shridhar The New Tech Innovations in Agro Processing 64 Cutting Edge Modern Role of Packaging Material 68 AU-Industry Convergence Agricultural Higher Education 70 62 Fount Of Life Eye On Future Mushrooms: Immunity Stimulators, Income Shyam Narayan Jha Generators 72 Eco Agriculture sEMINAR & Awards 2021 74 4 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Honda Annadata ad Back cover 165x240mm

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June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 5 From the PresIdent’s Food Processing: desk Promising Extra Gains To Growers ndia holds immense potential in the segment of food processing. Indian agriculture is racing towards becoming a $500 billion economy in a year or two, while Indian economy itself may take five years or more to become a 5 trillion economy. The need for giving a major boost to food processing has become absolutely essential for farmers to become major beneficiary of Ithe gains of this growth. The poor agri infrastructure and distorted markets put the onus on the Indian food processing sector to insulate the farmers from the vagaries of high seasonal price fluctuations by through value addition longer shelf life. The potential for investments in India and assurance of high returns are guaranteed with abundance of agricultural produce, skilled man power and a vast and diversified fast growing food market. India is the largest producer of many agricultural commodities, often creating gluts and fall in prices. There are opportunities galore in the food processing segment, especially beyond the conventional food processing activities. The Covid pandemic has opened up immense space for healthy, safe and hygienic food. This space can be Dr. M.J. Khan effectively used, and in the process a stable market can be created for traditional immunity-building foods and snacks. The ready to eat food category is seeing an exponential growth. Packaging is a lesser explored area demanding new age solutions capitalizing on the need of easy handling, longer shelf life, better dispensing quality, no loss of nutrients etc. Business ventures concentrating on automation-based technologies and robotics will have immense scope. Food safety has emerged as an important challenge in the event of enhanced food processing demands. Inadequate knowledge about food hygiene and the standards and certification is a major handicap. Measures to address this concomitantly will aid in the development and expansion of the food processing sector. Temperature controlled warehouses for the perishables, cold storages and appropriate logistics are emerging as prerequisites for the development of From the PresIdent’s desk PresIdent’s the From the sector. This sector requires intensive efforts from the government and the corporate since it is investment heavy. The Scheme for Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises 2020, launched by the Government of India @INR 10,000 crores could be game changer, as it envisages upgrading the technology, skills, products and systems of micro food units and food vendors, and linking the FPOs with food processing industry to unleash its full potential. Today India’s biggest weakness in the agriculture segment is over production, and the inability to timely channelize excess production for proper storage, processing or exports. Food processing can convert this weakness into big strength. If proper technologies are developed and made accessible at farm level, not only can we address the issue of wastages but also substantially increase the income from agriculture.

6 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 from THE Bihar Agricultural University executive shows the way editor’S desk

ihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur has rolled out several ICT enabled innovative agriculture extension approaches to reach out to the farming community on real time basis. The university has come up with an innovative blend of ICT tools to solve the specific problem of technology dissemination.B The major approaches adopted by the university include Real Time Farmers-Scientist Interface with Video-Conferencing, Kisan Gyan Rath-Taking Technology To Farmers Door Step, Community Radio Station, Digital Storytelling and its dissemination through Social media, Videos through SD cards: An approach to tackle internet issues and Dissemination of timely information through SMS. The university has taken an initiative to cope-up malnutrition through agricultural intervention Apni Kyari Apni Thali (AKAT) in collaboration with ICDS (Department of Social Welfare, Bihar) and UNICEF. The programme has been implemented in four districts viz. Patna, Nalanda, Purnea and Khagaria through the existing Krishi Vigyan Kendras. RAJNI SHALEEN CHOPRA desk S

A systematic approach was followed in order to bring about perceptible improvement in the nutritional security through multipronged approach with special focus on one specific approach at each district. These included creation of awareness through nutrition education through CRS, Barh under KVK, Patna; incorporation of mushroom to daily diet at in Nalanda, and enhancing diet diversity through establishment of nutri-gardens at Aanganwadi Centres (AWCs) at Purnea and Khagaria. Five villages were selected at each districts. A strong linkage was established between respective KVK and AWC with the help of ICDS, Government of Bihar. ed i tor’ execut i ve Nutritional garden were established at AWC to include green leafy vegetables and fruits in the diets of pregnant and lactating women, and also provided to children. Community Radio Services were employed to boost up the nutritional and health awareness programme. Awareness through Community Radio Services is one of the fascinating ways adopted THE f rom by the KVK has opted to reach rural mass. The initiatives taken by the university encouraged the cultivation and inclusion of mushroom in diets to combat the malnutrition in children. Mushroom cultivation was promoted at each selected AWCs. Mushrooms were served as a supplement in meal at selected AWCs. An extensive campaign was conducted to remove the stigmas and taboos related to food habits including mushroom consumption. Rural women were empowered with technical knowledge of nutri-garden establishment, mushroom cultivation and culinary diversification.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 7 Farmers’ Welfare

The guardian of the environment, our food provider Major Government Thrust On Food Processing Sector

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Food Processing Industries, GOI

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e recently celebrated of development. In the remote forest dwelling areas of World Environment Land degradation is a matter of se- our country, a majority of the tribals are Day 2021. This World rious concern. It threatens the sustain- engaged in farming. They mostly do not Environment Day also ability of agriculture. Landslides and de- use fertilizers or use it very little. Those marks the beginning forestation due to rain and run-off water entire vast areas are given organic certi- Wof the UN Decade on Ecosystem Resto- in mountainous areas expose soil, water fication. We are making efforts to encour- ration. World Environment Day is not just and wind erosion due to overgrazing in age these belts, for example, the Anda- a ritual for us. This special day is celebrat- forest and plains. man and Nicobar Islands. These areas ed to highlight the importance of the en- India is one of the 70 countries that will be used only as natural farming. The vironment and remind people that nature have joined the United Nations Conven- income of farmers will increase as a re- should not be taken lightly. As a country tion to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), sult of certification. that coexists with nature, it has tradition- which has established land degradation There has also been an influx of ally been a way of life for India and her neutrality by 2030 as part of the Conven- new nano fertilizers in agriculture, due to many communities to look to nature as a tion’s Land Degradation Neutrality Strate- which the consumption of normal fertiliz- guiding force. gy. Has pledged to reach erosion neutral- ers will be reduced. This will definitely in- This day is also a special occasion for ity goals. As a signatory to the UNCCD, crease the fertility of the fields. One of the us to brainstorm on how the country can India has implemented several policies most important strategies being adopted play a leading role in the process of eco- by the government for sustainable agri- system restoration with programs based culture amidst the challenges posed by on the many cultures and traditions that Indian Institute of Food climate change is to increase water use are a part of our lives. Growing trees, Processing Technology, efficiency in agriculture. Precise water green cities, reforestation, change in diet use through micro-irrigation technologies or cleaning of rivers and banks are the Thanjavur, an autonomous has shown great promise in reducing the processes of ecosystem restoration. It is institute under the water footprint at the farm level. also necessary to include those things administrative control of the The budget of micro-irrigation was that we have forgotten or which are often Ministry, has developed delicious earlier 5 thousand crore rupees. This has destroyed. Protection of healthy ecosys- been doubled by the central government. tem is also important. plates and ice cream cones from Now with a huge fund of Rs 10 thou- Restoration can take place in several jackfruit, which often goes waste sand crore, farmers will get the benefits ways. It is not always possible to return due to the huge production of micro irrigation. Less groundwater will an ecosystem to its original state. We be extracted. This will directly benefit the need farmland and we also need infra- cluster in the area. environment majorly. The government structure. has also made a new policy regarding The economic benefits of ecosys- bio-stimulants, so that there is less use tem restoration interventions are many and programs to combat land degrada- of chemical-fertilizers and the condition times greater than the cost of investment. tion and desertification with the goal of of the fields improves. Continuous work Every ecosystem can be restored – for- achieving land degradation neutrality. is going on under the guidance of Prime ests, farms, cities, wetlands and oceans. Minister Shri Narendra Modi on the plan Restoration initiatives can be launched by Boost to Organic Farming to make ethanol from maize, which will almost anyone, from governments and The government is giving a lot of pro- save the environment by reducing im- development agencies to businesses, motion to organic/natural farming. Par- ports as well as reducing the consump- communities and individuals. amparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana / Indian tion of petrol and diesel. Natural Farming System Scheme / Zero Major Initiatives Budget Farming is being promoted, Role of Food Processing Sector Let us consider some of the major initia- which will definitely benefit the environ- Our food processing sector is instrumen- tives taken by the Government of India ment immensely. The purity of the holy tal in reducing post-production losses of under the leadership of our Prime Minis- river Ganga has been the priority of the agriculture and the allied sector through ter Shri Narendra Modi. The Prime Min- central government. Agriculture along on-farm and off-farm investments in con- ister launched the major initiative for the the banks of the Ganga river will be com- servation and processing infrastructure, cleanliness of the country. He has con- pletely organic / natural so that no chem- besides increasing farm incomes and sistently emphasized that environmental ical-fertilizer etc. goes into Ganga river. generating non-farm employment. Food principles must be followed in the process This step could be a milestone. production and thereafter food wastage

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 9 Farmers’ Welfare

increases the emission of greenhouse es, provision of drainage, combined use of gases into the environment, which can be The Ministry of Food Processing water etc. The risk of water-logging stems avoided to a great extent. Industries through its schemes from the fact that farmers may not recog- The Ministry of Food Processing In- has made significant contribution nize the problem until it begins to affect dustries through its schemes has made yields. Regular monitoring of groundwater significant contribution towards reduc- towards reduction in post-harvest level is essential to check water-logging. tion in post-harvest losses by encourag- losses by encouraging creation of Apart from soil erosion, there are ing creation of farm gate infrastructure, farm gate infrastructure, enhancing other factors which lead to the degra- enhancing food processing capacity and food processing capacity and dation of the soil ecosystem. Intensive strengthening the value chain of various farming leads to soil nutrient deficiencies agro-horticulture products. PM Formlisa- strengthening the value chain of and imbalances, especially micronutrient tion of Micro Food Processing Enterprises various agro-horticulture products deficiencies. This leads to degradation of Scheme (PMFME), aimed at upgrading 2 organic matter in the soil. Wet conditions lakh new enterprises and training 9 lakh production cluster in the area. aggravate the problems posed by pests entrepreneurs, has gone a long way in Some of the technologies/products due to seepage of rainwater. The high promoting sustainable processing of agri- developed by the Institute from food use of nitrogen and water has caused culture and allied products and protecting waste are: (a) Mixed high fiber flour pre- nitrogen to be carried to the water table, the environment. pared from jackfruit seeds and strand thereby polluting it for future use. Keep- The highly diverse nature of the food powder, which is used for the prepara- ing this in view, about 12 crore soil tests industry, inefficient processing tech- tion of cookies, biscuits and products have been done and land health cards niques, handling and packaging opera- like pasta, noodles (b) Production of on- have been distributed by GOI, so that tions create wastes. If left untreated, these ion powder from onion waste products balance fertilizer use should be pro- can lead to serious pollution problems. such as onion stalks, rinds and flowers moted. Deforestation is one of the big- During the last five years, the Ministry has of onion for flavoring in food additives (c) gest challenges in the world. The main supported around 800 food processing pomegranate seeds and peels, grape reason for the decline in forest wealth is infrastructure projects ranging from huge pomace, potato peel, black gram milling the increase in demand for fuel and other mega food parks to small value chain link- waste (powder and portions of the husk) timber as a result of population growth, age projects spread over an area of 50 are added to flour while preparing cook- indiscriminate development projects and acres. Adoption of innovative process- ies, cakes, etc., to enhance the nutritional forest fires. Forest cover has not changed ing techniques, waste disposal system value. The commercial food industry has much in recent times. Its diversion for including water treatment plant and reuse focused on the use of waste streams. non-forestry purposes has been more or of treated water, effluent treatment plant Food packaging material can be made less compensated by afforestation. India as well as solid waste disposal plant is using waste starch material from rice, is one of the few countries where forest mandatory for assistance under major millet, maize processing units etc. Biode- cover is increasing. schemes of Mega Food Park, Agro Pro- gradable plates can be made using waste India is a country with diverse agro- cessing Cluster etc. In projects that em- tree logs. Rice bran ash from paddy mill- climatic conditions that shelter a wide ploy renewables, priority is given to sup- ing industries and sugar industries can be variety of animals and plants. India ranks port energy sources such as solar panels used for production of biodegradable food the highest in Asia and is among the top and efficient energy use machinery. packaging materials. Eco-friendly tech- nations globally in terms of plant diversity. nology can be used for extracting oil from As agriculture becomes more and more Research and Development mango seed kernels. Major research is commercialized, many plant and animal The Ministry also promotes research being conducted in these fields. species are becoming extinct. A number activities for innovative product and pro- of measures have been taken by GOI cess development in the food processing Importance of Soil Test Cards for sustainable management of forests, sector. “Waste to Wealth” is one of the Intensive agriculture and increased de- including agriculture and fisheries, with major focus areas of these research pro- pendence on irrigation resulted in salinity, a view to providing food and nutritional jects. Indian Institute of Food Processing alkalinity and water-logging in some irri- security to all without destroying the natu- Technology, Thanjavur, an autonomous gated areas of the country. In India as well ral resource base, while ensuring inter- institute under the administrative control as in other developing countries, water generational environmental equity. It is a of the Ministry, has developed delicious being an important component in agricul- matter of pride for us that our Annadatas plates and ice cream cones from jackfruit, ture, any loss of irrigated land should be also take on the role of the protectors of which often goes waste due to the huge avoided through proper irrigation practic- the environment.

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Initiatives by Ministry of Food Processing Industries Strengthening India’s Food Processing Sector ood is the fundamental basis times like these cannot be emphasized MoFPI in recent times are discussed in of life. It is the source of en- enough. While many sectors across the detail below: ergy, nutrition and while eat- country and worldwide are seeing a ing a balanced amount of food downturn, food processing is relatively Production Linked Incentive keeps us fit and healthy, a well shielded by the effects of the pandemic Scheme for Food Processing Fdeveloped food processing sector is cru- and continues to flourish. The Ministry Industry (PLISFPI) cial for a healthy nation. Higher process- of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) Pursuant to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ing can improve value addition, reduce is cognizant of the myriad of opportuni- mission of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the wastage, ensure better return to the ties available in the sector and is driving Government of India approved a new farmers and address critical issues such its growth with full capacity by launching central sector scheme, namely ‘Produc- as food security, food inflation etc. Amidst new initiatives, supporting entrepreneur- tion Linked Incentive Scheme for Food this global pandemic, there has been an ship, strengthening research, and aca- Processing Industry’. The scheme will be even greater need to have a robust im- demia are a few of the many steps taken slated for implementation during 2021-22 mune system to fight diseases. Thus, by the apex body. to 2026-27 with an overall outlay of Rs. the importance of food in unordinary Some of the major initiatives taken by 10,900 crore. This initiative will support

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the creation of global food manufacturing Production Linked Incentive ers Cooperatives along their entire value champions commensurate with India’s chain. natural resource endowment and sup- Scheme for Food Processing The scheme is slated for implemen- port Indian brands of food products in the Industry will facilitate expansion tation from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a international markets. The scheme pro- of processing facility to generate total outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore and is poses to incentivize the food processing expected to benefit 2,00,000 micro-enter- companies to modernize their infrastruc- processed food output of Rs. prises by this credit linked subsidy. Major ture and enhance their competitiveness 33,494 crore, create employment objectives are to increase in access to fi- by manufacturing specific categories of nance by micro food processing units and food products having high potential for opportunities for nearly 2.5 lakh revenues of target enterprises, enhance growth in output and value addition. persons by 2026-27, ensure compliance with food quality and safety The scheme includes four food justified prices for farm produce, standards by providing access to com- segments, Ready to Cook/ Ready to mon infrastructure like common process- Eat (RTC/ RTE) foods, including Millet and increase farmers’ income ing facility, laboratories etc. It will also fo- products, Processed Fruits and Vegeta- cus on on-site skill training and handhold- bles, Marine Products, and Mozzarella Cheese. Innovative/ Organic products of SMEs in these segments, including Free Ease of Doing Business and Investment Facilitation To provide a hassle-free experience to the industry players and the desirous en- Range - Eggs, Poultry Meat, Egg Prod- trepreneurs, the ministry initiated an idea of launching a portal at the inaugura- ucts, are also covered. Additionally, the tion of World Food India-2017. A dedicated investor portal - ‘Nivesh Bandhu’ was scheme is open for private food process- launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The portal proved beneficial for budding ing companies, co-operatives, and small entrepreneurs to get quick relevant information related to food processing sec- and medium scale enterprises. tor on one platform, such as central and state government policies, incentives Pradhan Mantri Formalization provided for the food processing sector, mapping resource availability, process- of Micro Food Processing ing infrastructure etc. Recently in February 2021, the Nivesh Bandhu portal was further revamped to enhance user friendliness and to provide a more seamless Enterprises (PMFME) experience to its users. In June 2020, MoFPI introduced a pan- The ministry had also set up a dedicated Investor Facilitation Desk with Invest India scheme called ‘Pradhan Mantri For- India, the national investment promotion agency of India, for ease on doing busi- malisation of Micro Food Processing En- ness and providing handholding support in the food processing sector. The desk terprises’ (PMFME), in partnership with has been continuously working closely with various major industry players, new the state/ UT governments under “Aat- entrepreneurs and SMEs to facilitate them throughout their investment lifecycle. manirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”. The scheme The desk is engaged with both domestic and foreign investors for gathering in- aims to enhance the level of competitive- puts for policy reforms, issue/ query resolution, investment facilitation etc. ness of the present micro-enterprises In 2020, MoFPI constituted a Project Development Cell (PDC) with the prime in the unorganized segment of the food objective of accelerating investments, and to bring projects to the Empowered industry and thus, aiding the process of Group of Secretaries (EGoS) that require special incentives, policy interven- formalization of the sector and support tions, expeditious clearances, systemic reforms or a new project developed by Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), the PDCs. Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Produc-

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 13 COVER STORY

ing for DPR and technical upgradation.

Extension of Operation Greens The scheme was announced in the union budget speech of 2018-19 with the objectives to stabilize the supply of Tomato, On- ion and Potato (TOP) crops, ensure availability of these perishable crops round the year across country without major price fluctuations and enhance the realized value of TOP farmers. MoFPI is committed to achieve these objectives through targeted interventions and by strengthening TOP production clusters and their FPOs, and linking/connecting them with the market, reduction in post-harvest losses Promotion of Women by creation of farm gate infrastructure, Entrepreneurs development of suitable agro-logistics, There is a substantial women participa- creation of appropriate storage capacity tion of 12.55 per cent and 24.69 per cent linking consumption centres. in both registered food processing units During the COVID lockdown in 2020, and unincorporated non-agricultural en- the scheme was extended from TOP to terprises respectively. Empowering wom- TOTAL (to all fruits and vegetables) to porters, policy makers, government and en has always been one of the prime ob- provide 50 per cent subsidy for transpor- existing institutions. In February 2019, jective of this government. With the same tation of eligible crops from surplus pro- the Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble intent, MoFPI in partnership with Ministry duction cluster to the consumption centre Prime Minister approved the introduction of Women and Child Development organ- for six months and / or hiring of appropri- of National Institutes of Food Technology, ized the ‘Organic Food Festival’ in Febru- ate storage facilities for eligible crops (for Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, ary 2020 in New Delhi. maximum period of 3 months). 2019 to to confer the status of ‘Institutions Recently, the scope of ‘Operation of National Importance’ to NIFTEM and Greens’ scheme was enlarged to 22 IIFPT. This would enable both institutes perishable products confirming govern- to provide world class teaching and re- ment’s focus towards boosting the value search experience by adopting innovative addition in agriculture and allied sector. practices.

Strengthening of Institutions and Promoting Research and Academia Development The significance of the event was to The MoFPI has two premier institutes Na- The ministry understands that keeping provide a platform to women entrepre- tional Institute of Food Technology, Entre- abreast of the latest developments in neurs for capacity building and economic preneurship and Management (NIFTEM) R&D is critical for the food processing empowerment. The event saw participa- and Indian Institute of Food Processing ecosystem in the country. For this rea- tion of over 180 women entrepreneurs Technology (IIFPT) under its aegis, to son, the ministry is providing continuous and self-help groups coming from over 25 cater to the needs of various stakehold- support to encourage research and de- states and UTs with very interesting prod- ers such as entrepreneurs, industries, ex- velopment in the field of food processing. ucts on display from across the country. A total of 126 R&D projects for process Training programs were also organized development, efficient technologies, im- on the topics of post-harvest manage- proved packaging, value addition etc. are ment, product innovation, packaging and being supported, 15 patents were filed / capacity building for women entrepre- received, 20 technologies were commer- neurs and SHGs. cialized and 187 research findings were The write-up is based on the inputs re- published from the projects assisted by ceived from the Ministry of Food Process- MoFPI. ing Industries (MoFPI)

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Doubling farmers income Innovations in Food Processing

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ood processing and value addition at all levels of the food supply chain is regarded very important to enhance the farmer’s income. To sustain the increased production of fruitsF and vegetables, milk, food grains, spices etc, processing has to increase and more value addition is required. There should be direct linkages between farmers and industries. The farmers need to approach a business model to get remunerative price for the products. Individual farmer may find it difficult to address the scale of economy. The farmer needs to understand the consumer’s requirements to grow what is demanded by the market. Consumer preferences are changing from cereals-based food into composite foods. There is a slow shift Farmers must focus on primary processing, cold from usefulness in processing to usefulness to consumers. chain logistics and establishment of cold storages. It Processed foods are gaining importance and product innovation has become a key for getting a good demand. is essential to educate the farmers on technological The concepts of organic farming, primary processing, value advancements and scientific developments in agriculture addition, ready to eat and food processing foods etc., are being preferred. Fortification of flours, milk, eggs, fruits Value addition in Products etc., are new innovations Fortifying the bakery products with micro nutrition and by coming to the market. active compounds is finding a rich market. The processing levels of milk, meat and fish are satisfactory. The processing of pulses, fruits and vegetables needs boost. It cannot be done alone by a single body. The scientists, industries and GOI must work together for the upliftment of farmers. The Indian farmer is generally not aware of technological advancements and scientific developments in the field of agriculture. He is not well informed of the programs and policies of government which are meant to bring relief and comfort in his life. To empower farmers to understand the existing scenario and to act accordingly, there is a need to create farming clusters, FPOs and FPCs to ensure value addition and improving the post-harvest quality of food. Three important areas where farmers should focus are primary processing, cold chain logistics and establishment about the authors of cold storages. This shall help to maintain the quality of food and make it available during lean season when it is not Dr Chindi Vasudevappa is Vice Chancellor, National available so that the farmers can improve their profit margin. Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship & It is also important in the present-day context that farmers Management (NIFTEM), (Deemed to be University under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India), should establish networks through which their products could Ministry of Food processing Industries, Kundli, Sonepat, be effectively marketed and get better profit. Haryana In order to increase awareness about the importance WITH of innovative technologies in production, processing and Komal Chauhan, National Institute of Food Technology value addition, it is essential to educate the farmers on Entrepreneurship and Management technological advancements and scientific developments in the field of agriculture and food processing. Awareness about

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 17 Atmanirbhar Bharat

government policies and schemes Some issues that need attention of fortified flour, milk, sugar and fortified need to be increased. GOI is providing bakery products with micro nutrient, support to the farmers to establish are intelligent cold chain systems; grains and bio-active compounds. primary processing units on the farm for adaptive control of storage conditions There is good consumer acceptability minimal processing of crops. with biological sensors; rapid for these products. Processing technologies must maintain the Encourage Innovative detection of food adulterants, fungal nutritional value of diet for addressing Technologies and bacterial toxins and other health and wellness concerns. There Technocrats should take up focused contaminants; using bio-sensors/ is a need for on-farm processing. R&D to address issues related to nano-bio-sensors/molecular markers We must also ensure utilization of farmers and industries to bridge the gap by-products and wastes from food between farmers and industries. Adding demand and global standards. Many processing industries through better value to traditional foods by developing technologies have evolved in the use of technology and establishment of standard recipes for better quality, organized sector in the country. value chains. Innovations like bringing in safety and sustainability, development Public and private R&D institutions robotics and automatization in the food of composite foods and fortified food have significantly contributed to the and agricultural sector will help. including bio fortification are ways introduction of innovative technologies. Some issues that need our attention to achieve this. Traditional foods are We now have IOT (Internet of things) are intelligent cold chain systems; generally packed in bulk. Appropriate concepts for addressing modernization, adaptive control of storage conditions packaging materials should be used automation in processing, establishment with biological sensors; rapid detection and the products should be branded for of cold chain logistics, block chain of food adulterants, fungal and bacterial traceability and better keeping quality. technologies, use of energy efficient toxins and other contaminants; using bio- On the export front, India has been a storage facilities, large scale storage of sensors/ nano-bio-sensors/molecular raw material exporter. Food processing commodities etc. Innovative technologies markers; application of robotics, artificial at appropriate threshold must be include cold plasma technology, pulsed neural networking, nutri-genomics, considered a farm-level economic electrified field, Ohmic heating, bio- non-destructive and/or online testing activity like scientific farm management. fortification, irradiation, hydrolysestechniques and supercritical fluid Planners are exploring the possibilities bio-based/protein rich food, high extraction for production of high-value for food and agro processing for farm pressure processing, homogenization, products. We also need to focus on and/or self-help groups for income and ultrasound, three dimensional printing, the development of bio-polymers for employment generation in rural India. organics, minimal processing, ready packaging and bio-composites for Important scientific developments are to eat and ready to cook technology, structures based on nano-technological taking place for improving the quality extrusion technology, traditional food in development, bio sensors to predict and and safety of food in view of consumer packed forms, improved packaging, use manage the shelf life of processed foods.

18 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Shri Sharad Gupta 18th September 1960- 6th May 2021

Mr Sharad Gupta and Dairy India Yearbook (DIY) that he published are synonyms. Mr Gupta breathed, lived and existed for and by DIY. He was a par excellence and passionate, proficient professional, knowledge seeker, information miner, data hunter, statistics stalker, all rolled-in-one for the DIY. These also made him a walking encyclopedia of dairy. He combined all these traits with his skills of editing, fearless expurgation of superfluous and unwarranted junk, with his acute attention to detail for evidence. He applied his art of wordsmithery, composition, collation, compilation of what he had collected, assembled, and accumulated as the core content for the DIY. He keenly embellished, enhanced and smartened the content and manuscript with graphics and pictorials to fascinate and appeal to the reader. To bind the volume in covers, he was an elitist at cherrypicking paper and print. Most believed that he was one-man editor and publisher of DIY. The truth is that he had created an invisible universe of educated, erudite, well-informed, professionally experienced, knowledge gatherers, academics, scientists, researchers, scholars, investigators, entrepreneurs, industrialists, and corporates. These men of letters, intellectuals and intelligent people with brainpower contributed their knowledge and comprehension as articles that he packaged. He essayed those articles and commentaries with modesty, convincing, conviction, persuasion, influence, and motivation. All of them have individually and collectively partnered with him in generating and engineering the modern Veda of the dairy world – Dairy India Yearbook. Mr Gupta was born in Delhi on 18th September, 1960. He went to St Columbus School in Delhi and earned his Post Graduate Diploma in Book Publishing from the University of Delhi, after studying journalism at the Dateline School of Journalism. He had inherited most of his skills and traits in legacy from his father, the originator, founder and publisher. Mr Gupta valued, admired, revered, respected, worshipped and has continued to honour him in successfully accomplishing his father’s dream. In his demise, the dairy world has lost a valued asset, architect and designer of the one stop portal and gateway to information and statistics of Indian Dairying. l Dr. R S Khanna

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 19 Future Wise Food Processing and Doubling Farmer’s Income he Hon’ble Prime Minister has fectively catalyse enhancement of farmer pros- When enterprise spelt out an ambitious mission to perity and well-being during this period. As per double farmer income by 2022 by Niti Aayog’s policy paper on Doubling Farmer’s innovation meets which time India would have com- Income, as per the NSSO data on consump- untapped potential, pleted her 75 years of Independ- tion expenditure for the year 2011-12, more value is unleashed Tence. Achievement of this outcome is critical than one fifth of the rural households with self- for all stakeholders for 70 per cent of Indian lives and livelihoods employment as agriculture had incomes below dependent on agriculture. This superordinate poverty line. Farm income has also remained in the chain. ITC has goal has also been provided a policy level di- significantly low at around 35-40 per cent of been a stellar example rection and thrust through the Agriculture Ex- income earned by those in non-farm sector. of business model port Policy 2018. This left the country in agrarian distress, with It will be worthwhile to reflect on the trajec- adverse effects on agriculture Evidently, India innovation in the agri and tory that Indian Agriculture has taken in the today needs a tectonic shift in its strategy for food processing chain post-independence era. The focus over half a agriculture. It is in this context that the Prime century or so has been primarily on increasing Minister’s vision of doubling farm incomes is agriculture output to hedge against risks of food highly relevant. shortages which India faced in the mid-60s. The strategy in the green revolution era has Food processing – The vital largely been a combination of supply side inno- node vation to enhance farm productivity and output, Food processing, a vital node price support for farmers and subsidies on farm connecting agriculture with man- inputs. The outcomes achieved have been en- ufacturing will prove to be one couraging. India’s food production multiplied of the key pivots to augment by 3.7 times and population multiplied by farmer incomes. Food pro- 2.55 times during the same period. This cessing is a value creation has not only made India self-sufficient in bridge that links global agriculture but also a net food export- and domestic demand ing country. with the Indian agri val- While India did well on the ue chain. A demand- farm production side, it did not ef- led agri value chain deep- about the author

Mr Hemant Malik is currently the Divisional Chief Executive of ITC’s Foods Business. He is also a member of the Corporate Management Committee of ITC Limited. ITC Foods is the third largest packaged food company in India and also the fastest growing, with strong play in staples, snacks, biscuits, noodles, spices, juices, diary, chocolates etc

20 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 ly coupled with consumer needs triggers a virtuous cycle of value addition to farm produce, enhanced realisations for the farmer, generates efficiencies across the entire agri value chain, reduces wastage, creates large scale employment and lies at the root of creation of world class In- dian brands that stand for trust, credibility and quality. Food processing Industry also provides the much needed cushion and stability to farmers who are vulnerable against vagaries of weather, reel under the debts and asymmetries of trade UP and Kerala, leveraging crops of sig- food processing sector to plough back caused by traditional middlemen, by pro- nificance in that geography. economic surpluses at a significant scale. viding the farmer an alternative market Similarly, a whole new market has This will bring in much needed invest- access option for his produce. been created over the last two decades ments at the farm end in terms of tech- The untapped and latent potential in in the area of branded and packaged Atta nology and infrastructure for enhancing the agri and food processing chain can by establishing deep farm linkages in MP, farm incomes. PLI scheme will prove to be illustrated by the some of the facts that UP, Rajasthan and Bihar, sourcing the be a game changer in augmenting farm follow. India is home to 11.2 per cent of finest quality of wheat such as Sharbati incomes as it is outcome focussed, off- the arable land in the world. India ranks for its Aashirvaad Brand. ITC has created sets factor costs, helps garner scale and first in the world in sectors such as Spic- world class Indian brands in the pack- makes India as one of the most attractive es, Milk, Ghee, Pulses, Ginger, Banana, aged foods space with consumer spends destinations for investment in the globe. It Guava, Papaya, Mango. We are second of over 15000 core that reach one out of also promotes exports and makes India in the world in segment such as Rice, every two Indian households. ITC has an integral part of global supply chains. Wheat, Fish and Aquaculture and many enhanced farm incomes manifold and is There are several agri value chains other fruits and vegetables. However, less also retaining the value added product which gain relevance from a health and than 10% of the agriculture output in India within the Indian economy. Today, ITC’s e nutrition point of view. They have the is processed which is much lower com- choupal is the world’s largest “Rural Digi- potential to transform the destiny of the pared to countries such as US (65 pc) tal Infrastructure” spread across 35000 farmer while also achieving positive out- and China (30 pc). In spite of India’s rich villages and empowering 4 million farm- comes on the health and nutrition front. potential, it ranks 11th in terms of the ag- ers. ITC`s agri-business lends distinc- The resurgence of the pandemic has ac- riculture exports with a meagre share of tive competitive advantage to its branded centuated the need for building agri value 2.5 per cent of global agriculture exports. packaged food businesses with supe- chains on the theme of health and immu- The share of high-value and value-added rior agri-sourcing that focuses on identity nity. Such agri value chains with potential products in food product exports from In- preservation, traceability and certifica- include super foods such as millets, ragi, dia is less than 15 per cent as compared tion, as well as lower transaction costs. medicinal and aromatic plants such as to US at 25 per cent and China at 49 per ITC expects to support nearly 3,000 Moringa, Tulsi, Ashwagandha etc and or- cent. The value of wastages in the Indian FPOs with more than a million farmers ganic food value chains. agri value chain today stands at a stag- across 24 crop value chain clusters in 21 To sum up, the Indian food processing gering number of over Rs 90000 crore. states, shaping competitive agri value- sector is uniquely positioned to influence When enterprise innovation meets chains and enhancing farmers` incomes. positive outcomes for the farming com- untapped potential, value is unleashed munity owing to the abundance of agricul- for all stakeholders in the chain. ITC has Suitable Government Policies ture crops where India has a competitive been a stellar example of business model Government policies and regulatory advantage, favourable demographic pro- innovation in the agri and food process- shifts have been sharply directed to profile of the Indian consumer with rising dis- ing chain. Farmer incomes have been vide a fillip to unlock the natural synergies posable incomes, significant headroom significantly enhanced through demand between agriculture and food process- for growth from the current levels of food led agri value chains. Exemplars in this ing. The liberalisation of regulations at processing, growing export demand, pro- area include B Natural Juices made from the farm end and the Productivity Linked active Government policies and the en- 100 per cent Indian fruit from farmers in Scheme with an allocation of Rs 10,900 terprise strength inherent in world class India across states such as Tamil Nadu, crore will indeed enable the organised Indian companies.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 21 Agri Vision

Processing Fruits & Vegetables let’s make our farmers thrive arm and Pharma. During the corona pandemic, these two sectors were the lifelines of mankind, providing health, hygiene and nutrition. Farmers, despite being exposed to all Flife risks, continued to maintain the supply lines of perishable agri-produce like fruits, vegetables and milk 24X7. Consumption of fruits and vegetables, herbs, spices and condiments have proved to be the Rambaan, the panacea for fighting corona. The goodness of fruits and vegetables like anola, lime and drumsticks for health, immunity and nutrition for the body, mind and soul has been well appreciated and internalised in our society. When cash flow of farmers was at stress during corona, fruits and vegetables proved to be a saviour by bringing in much needed liquidity into the system apart from timely support from the government. The fruits and vegetables sector contributes largely to the Gross Domestic Happiness for the nation by ensuring economic growth, physical health, and spiritual wealth.

about the author

Mr Pradipta Kumar Sahoo is Chief Strategy Officer & Head (International Business), Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt Ltd

22 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Agri Vision

Dichotomy month to 100 years in varied agrocli- People are aware of the proverb, An ap- matic zones round the year. ple a day keeps the doctor away. The • Employment Generation: irony is that after almost 74 years of our It engages the largest number of farm- independence the fruits and vegetables ers, majority of them being small and sector remains more perplexing and marginal ones in the backend. In the complex than rocket science to compre- downstream, activities are manpower hend. We as country have made advancements in all intensive and terms of trade not favourable to farmers. most all sectors post-independence. But we are yet to • Category complexity: F&V is highly perishable, crack the tough nut of fruits and vegetables. The sec- cyclic, ambiguous and complex, with loosely defined tor has been languishing with systemic issues. The quality standards and specifications. result: frequent supply shocks with short supply and • Price Situation: It is highly volatile and has high- glut situation bringing boon and bane to varied stake er weightage in overall basket and food basket CPI and holders at different time, thereby bringing stress in WPI basket. the minds of policy makers and politicians. • Demand side (Industry): Mostly unorganised Given this backdrop, there is strong need to sector (98 % of the produce), lowest capital formation understand and appreciate the dynamics and in both private and public, no demand-based crop plan- imperatives of this industry. ning, demand is erratic and price sensitive, poor infra- Uniqueness: The Fruits and Vegetables structure and delayed market reforms and no minimum (F&V) sector brings both tears and happi- support price and insurance support. ness. Uniqueness of the F&V space is as fol- Current Industry Landscape lows: Given the above background, any initiative to double • Supply Side: It contributes highest farm income must focus on the areas of value addition output annually (more than 300 Million and market linkages. The processing level in India is still Tons) comprising largest number of com- abysmally lower as compared to its global peers. modities (around 200) in the agriculture The industry is grappling with issue of low-capacity sector with crop life cycle ranging from 1 utilization (around 40%). The industry faces the problem of sluggish domestic demand on the back of consumer’s food habits as they spend little on processed F&V. On the export front, the players face stiff competition from countries like China, Turkey and Brazil, which compete for a slice of share of the EU (European Union) markets. The Fruits & Vegetables processing industry comprises of Pulp, Frozen, Potato Chips and Dehydrates segments. The estimated size of the Pulp segment is Mr Sahoo is fond of Pulp: about 4.1 lakh MT valued at Rs 2000 Cr. It is growing yoga and gardening at a CAGR of 5 per cent over last 5 years. Eighty per cent of the processing volume comprises of mango. The

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 23 Agri Vision rest 20 per cent is shared among toma- Food and vegetable cultivation 7.5Lakh MT against a total production of to, papaya, guava, amla etc. Chittoor in about 21.8 Million MT. Seventy per cent AP is the major mango processing hub, should be treated as an of this is white onion, which is preferred which houses about 55 small and large Industry. A comprehensive crop for exports to West Asia, Europe, and processors. Chittoor processes around the South-East Asian nations. Domestic 2000-2500MT of mango per day during planning system based on agro demand of dehydrated products is about the season. The second hub is around ecology and other marketing 25-30 per cent. Nasik. Around 30 per cent of pulp produced in India gets exported as a food and logistics comparative Way forward ingredient. advantages and processing The need of the hour is to promote pro- Frozen IQF: The Frozen segment needs will go a long way to cessing and ensure market linkages ag- comprises three major products. These gressively. In fact, processing must be are green peas, sweet corn and potato- manage deficit vs glut, thus an integral part of the production eco- based french-fries and snacks. stabilizing prices and creating system. Production can be graded at - Rudrapur and Kashipur of Uttara- farmgate itself to generate at least three khand belt is the hub of the Peas pro- value for farmers broad grades in terms of physical char- cessing. Of the total 64 plants, 38 are acteristics. A grade can go for table use. located in this region. The estimated size per cent of these are in Gujarat. Rest 15 B and C grade can go for processing of the Industry is about 1.5Lakh MT of per cent plants are shared with MP, Ma- purpose. In fact, such a grading mecha- frozen peas, with a value of about 1200 harashtra & Rajasthan. Mahua, a small nism will ensure better realization for A Cr. The processing season is once a town near Bhavnagar is the hub of de- grades. Apart from that, processable va- year during Jan- Mar. hydrates. The industry processes about rieties can be grown exclusively to cater - Pune with about 25 processors is 75000 MT of dehydrated onion. The to specific processing needs. the hub of Sweet Corn. It has a volume of equivalent raw onion required to pro- Food and vegetable cultivation should about 50 thousand MT and a market size cess this is just be treated as an Industry. The key start- of about 300 Cr. The major sales channel ing point of annual plan is crop planning. in this case is retail. It witnessed a growth of about 20-25 per cent, primarily driven by home consumptions. - French-fries have a volume in the range of 50-60 thousand MT per annum with an estimated market size of about 500-600Cr and a potato requirement of around 2Lakh MT. Mehsana near Ahmedabad in Gujrat is the emerging hub for french- fries. The industry processes throughout the year out of the stored potato sourced from contract farming. Potato Chips: The Potato Chips, There does which is an ambient packaged snack not exist any for- is estimated to be the volume of 3.75- mal or informal planning mech- 4 Lakh MT. As per Euro monitor, anism as to how much to be the size of the Indian chip market sown and when to be sown or is about Rs 7,000-7,500 crore. The where to be sown. Farm acre- quantum of potato equivalent for age sown is largely based upon the processing is in the range of 13- 15 previous years’ return and not on Lakh MT against the total potato pro- the future opportunities of sale. The duction of about 50 Million MT. trade gains on uptrend situations while Dehydrates: Dehydrates industry farmers lose on down trend. A compre- comprises of about 175 SMEs which hensive crop planning system based processes onion and garlic. Almost 85 on agro ecology and other marketing

24 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Agri Vision

opportunity to processors.

Game Changer: A realtime initiative by Safal in Ranchi Laxman Mahato, age 34, an economics graduate took up sweetcorn cultivation in 2016. His share of landholding is 2acres at Khunti in Jharkhand. Traditionally, he grew maize (desi variety) in kharif. He switched to sweetcorn and managed 2MT/acre yield. But monetization became a nightmare due to poor market linkage. He could not sell more than 200 pieces per day in retail at Ranchi. So, he moved goods to Bhubaneswar, 450km away. It added cost of Rs 3.50/kg freight & 7 per cent commission. Either of these channels were not remunerative for the and logistics comparative advantages MSP and crop insurance if introduced farmer. and processing needs will go a long way in this sector will help farmers to grow In 2018, Mother Dairy set up a to manage deficit vs glut, thus stabiliz- crops which are of high importance so fruit and vegetable processing plant in ing prices and creating value for farm- far as processing is concerned. Recent Ranchi, Jharkhand. Safal Farmers’ de- ers. The advanced forecasting tools can reforms in contract farming and other velopment team contacted Mr Mahato throw up most likely models to adopt so farm laws will be handy for the industry and handheld him with better seeds, far as production acreage is concerned. which wants to promote innovation and package of practices, assured price and To promote such processing clus- differentiation in the market. Creating buy back of produce. ters, comprehensive value chain support buffer for storable products like onion by Mr. Mahato focused on yield & area from GOI has been in place. Schemes for MARKFED and Price Stabilisation Fund expansion. The yield increased to promoting FPOs/FPCs and CBBOs are have smoothened the demand-supply 6-8MT/acre and he expanded area from good schemes to do crop planning and gap. There needs to be a consistent and 3 to 30 acre on lease. Income improved transform agriculture to agri-business, sustainable approach for exports which from twenty-five thousand to eighteen provided it is manned by people with the has to be neutral to domestic pulls and lakhs per annum. The incremental cash right intention to add value. The recent pressure. Digitisation through e-NAM flow of village was Rs 48 lakhs with 80 production-linked incentives for the in- and village haats covering fruits & veg- acres (estimate). The cluster with 300 dustry promise gains for F&V processing etables for processing will help in price acres had a cash flow of around Rs 1.8 and marketing of value-added products. discovery and will give price arbitrage Crore. It became a true circular economy. It may be noted that Pune in the west is a traditional growing hub for sweet corn. Ranchi is fast emerging as second hub in the east to cater to north and eastern markets. This intervention falls under “Farmers management of price assurance & farm service Act”. But it is not as simple to implement as it appears. The economic value this initiative unleashed in a pre- dominantly tribal area is humongous and transformative in nature.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal and not of any of the present or past organization the author is associated)

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 25 Insight Trends in Packaged Food

Industryhe food packaging industry is ers. Contact-free shopping, store following safety India’s fifth largest sector with a standards, untouched by hands – these became current worth of nearly USD 40 important considerations. Share of packed sta- billion (3.2 Lac cr). The Indian ples in total staples jumped in strong double digits. packaged food market is expect- Rice, dry fruits, whole spices, powdered spices Ted to be double and grow up to USD 70 billion have seen a very big shift towards brands. Pre- (5.6 Lac cr) in the next five to ten years. Food mium brands like Karmiq, Sangis Kitchen and processing industry is a major employment Golden Harvest have seen more than provider, contributing to 11.4 per cent of or- a double-digit jump in shares. New ganised manufacturing employment. foods have gained in popularity The Indian packaged food industry plays like seeds, dry fruit mixes, trail a critical role in our economy. A rise in dis- mixes, millets, dehydrated posable incomes, demographic dividend, fruits, cold-pressed oils etc rise in nuclear families, participation of more Organic staples have seen women in the workforce, rise in organized unprecedented growth of trade and digital commerce – all have con- more than 20 pc over last tributed towards the growth of packaged food year. We will see a steady in India. Covid has also impacted consumer rise in packed, branded and behaviour and packaged food in a big way. I differentiated play in staples. am sharing some of the key shifts and areas of growth for the next few years in packaged Cooking at Home foods. Eating out and home-delivery – both have seen a drop from Packed & Branded Staples 40-60 pc in various months Touch, feel and smell have always been im- of the pandemic. Con- portant factors in the way shoppers shopped sumer staples like for staples. Even in modern trade, loose sta- packaged rice, ples made up for 30-50 pc of sales in cat- refined edible egories like pulses, rice, wheat and sugar. Covid has altered the behaviour of consum-

about the author Mr Kamaldeep Singh has two decades of experience in FMCG, Food & Retail Business. He is currently President, Food & FMCG at Future Group. Future Group is the leader in Food and FMCG Retail with more than 1000 stores with leading formats like Big Bazaar, Hyper City, Easyday and Heritage 26 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Insight

content management, engagement and traceability throughout the value chain.

Rise of Micro Niches & Brands Distribution has been a complicated affair in India. With millions of outlets, reaching consumers is a daunting task. Large players had a substantial edge over smaller ones due to reach and distribution muscle. Organised trade expanded distribution for regional and local brands through centralised supply chains. Digiti- sation is helping brands to reach directly to consumers. Mass personalisation at oil, ghee, tea, atta, sooji, maida have scale and one on one interface with con- seen strong growth rates. Instant foods sumers is a real possibility. Through so- like noodles, pasta, vermicelli, oats, poha cial media smaller and niche brands can replaced meals and created new snack- create their own channels of distribution ing occasions at home. Dessert mixes and communication. We will see many and baking picked up. Convenience smaller brands serving niches profitably. This will drive innovation, diversity and drove demand for categories like ready Mr Kamaldeep Singh is an avid localisation of food. to cook chapatis, batter etc. This seg- reader and likes to cook in his ment has seen many new launches like leisure hours gravy mixes, cuisine-based masalas, in- Rise of Fresh Categories stant upma, instant poha in instant foods This segment has been full of action with There has been a rapid expansion in cold segment. The food processing industry many new launches promising immunity. chain infrastructure in the country. The also saw several new product launches Infused tea, infused honey, immunity kit, dairy sector has built cold chain infra- – 3,500, to be precise, as per a Nielsen immunity booster drops, kadha, giloy, structure to Tier 3 towns. Organised trade report – over the past 12 months. amla juices and many more products. is also creating cold chain infrastructure These categories will continue to do well with expansion to towns below 1 lac pop- Health, Wellness, and Immunity even post-pandemic. ulation. Packaged liquid milk is available All-natural, high in fibre, high in proteins, across states and expanded into many natural flavours, vitamin & mineral forti- Engagement and Content cities in the last few years. It will emerge fied foods are popular now. High fibre Physical and digital are no longer sep- as the biggest category in packaged food foods such as millets-ragi, bajra, jowar arate worlds. Augmented reality, QR space. The Indian dairy industry is grow- have seen a rise in demand across codes, smartphone scanning has been ing at a CAGR of 12-13 pc over FY18-23. towns, classes and regions. There has around for some time. Digital packag- In India, 65 pc of the milk is consumed been a steady growth in demand for ing will use these features to offer a new in fluid form and the rest 35 pc is used healthy flours like soya bean flour, mil- process of engagement with consumers. for making products like ghee, ice cream, let-based flours and pulse-based flours. Traceability through the supply chain, paneer, curd, sweets and so on. Paneer There is increasing demand for preserv- education, entertainment, gamification – and khoa is growing at a CAGR of 17- ative-free bread in many metros and these will be real possibilities. Packaged 18 percent (FY18-23). It has emerged as mini metros. The pandemic has seen a foods will go through a digital transfor- one of the massive categories under milk big surge in immunity boosting products. mation through innovation in packaging, products. The curd market is growing at a CAGR 10-11 pc and ice cream at 22- 24 pc (FY18-23). Cheese and ice cream Paneer and khoa are growing at a CAGR of 17-18 percent (FY18-23). The curd are expected to grow at the highest rate market is growing at a CAGR of 10-11 percent and ice cream at 22-24 percent close to 24 pc in (FY18-23). Traditional (FY18-23). Cheese and ice cream are expected to grow at close to 24 percent Indian sweets – this is a big category (FY18-23). Traditional Indian sweets is a big category waiting to expand. Cold waiting to expand. Cold chain infra will lead to the emergence of many new cat- chain infra will lead to the emergence of many new categories egories.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 27 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Agenda for G20 Nations Why Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Must Rank At The Top

It is a matter of pride for us that India will take leadership of G-20 in 2022 (or 2023). Our PM will lead G-20. A team is putting together the agenda that he would like to pursue. Shri Suresh Prabhu is leading that effort. RIS is the institute that is coordinating the activity. With a view to bring out the issues related to agriculture that must find their way to the main agenda of G20, I wrote an article titled “Why food, agriculture and nutrition should be at the top of the agenda for G20 nations” . The article is published in the G20 Digest, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp 35-38, April ©2021, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) - Mr. Ram Kaundinya, Director General, Federation of Seed Industries of India (FSII)

28 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

s India takes up leadership of G20 in 2022 it would portant topic deserves to be at the centre of the agenda of G20. be most appropriate to bring food, nutrition and As COVID-19 exposes the fragility of the supply chain of agriculture to the centre stage for this elite group. food and agricultural produce around the world, the nations While the world would perhaps be recovering are exploring means of being more self-reliant, especially with from the ravages of COVID-19 by 2022, it would food. Small holder farmers who dominate agriculture in many Abe very important to bring the attention of the world back to of the G20 countries, many of them being women, need to be the most essential things of life like food and health and create protected and nurtured for the sustainability of the local food enabling conditions for their promotion. production system. Hence, it is an important topic for the G20 Some of the Sustainable Development Goals are intrinsi- nations to debate and find answers to. cally linked to food, nutrition and agriculture. Zero Hunger (2), Agriculture has made great progress in many countries in Good Health & Well-being (3), Responsible consumption and the last 50 years, starting with Green Revolution followed by production (12), Climate action (13) and Life on land (15) are hybrid technology and biotechnology. Yield increases helped in this list. In the Post-COVID situation these the world to feed the ever growing popula- goals assume more importance as the em- tion. However, tragically hunger still exists in phasis would shift from GDP driven economic Can agriculture survive the world. More than 5 million children died goals to the Well Being driven social goals. if farmers die? Leaders last year due to lack of food, clean water and Agriculture, Nutrition and Food form the bed have to find answers health care. About 160 million children of be- rock of the well-being of people across con- low 5 years age are found to be malnourished tinents. that can improve the in the world. These numbers can go up if im- Governments of G20 countries have financial wherewithal mediate action is not taken. a responsibility to make the SDGs Equity is a victim of our growth so far. achievable by 2030. Food, nutri- of the farmers and Lack of purchasing power has deprived cer- tion and agriculture will play increase their risk- tain sections of the world community from a crucial role in that en- accessing food. On the other hand there is deavour. Such an im- bearing capacity abundance of food in most of the advanced

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countries. Inequality based on gender, nancial wherewithal of the farmers and The Threat of Climate Change geography, income and other parameters increase their risk-bearing capacity. The leaders have to take policy decisions needs to be addressed. Lack of equity in Depletion of natural resources has to promote this collaborative approach. access to food is a major issue, especially become a very serious issue in most of Climate Change is the biggest threat to in disaster situations like pandemics when the countries. Soil, water and biodiversity global agriculture whose impact is in- it gets exposed more due to the failure of have depleted due to continuous and increasing year after year. Droughts, floods food supply chain and the natural advan- tensive agriculture followed in the last are increasing in intensity. Potential yields tage the rich have in accessing food in 50 years. Our food production systems could drop and food availability could be such situations. This needs the attention in each country have to be measured severely restricted by 2050 due to climate of world leaders. against a natural resource use efficiency change unless we start responding now. Small holder farmers and their welfare index. Diffusion of technology across the Sustainable agricultural practices and cul- need to be at the top of the priority list for nations to help them in improving their tivation of climate resilient crops may help governments around the world. Unprofita- natural resource use efficiency index has us in fighting this, but how to make it a ble agriculture, in many parts of the world, to be given priority as a humanitarian ef- part of our life and how to handle possible has left the farmers poor and vulnerable fort to conserve environment. immediate yield losses? Is it possible to to several risks. In most of the develop- have a collaborative policy across nations ing countries more than 80 per cent of which helps the total global population? the farmers are small and resource-poor, This needs the attention of the world and many of them are women. They lack Digital technologies can help leaders to find a collaborative effort. access to high quality inputs, finance, in creating market linkages, ot having predictable commercial technical advice and access to markets. models for sharing of technological inno- They are unable to practice sustainable transferring knowledge to vations among countries has not helped. and good agricultural practices. Distress farmers and supporting Biotechnology can help in fighting biotic among farmers leading to increased sui- and abiotic stress in agriculture. Digital cide rate is a big challenge for the world. financial systems. Precision technologies can help in creating market Can agriculture survive if farmers agriculture and micro linkages, transferring knowledge to farm- die? If youth does not have interest in irrigation can make a huge ers and supporting financial systems. agriculture, how will the future of agricul- Precision agriculture and micro irrigation ture look? Leaders have to look at this difference to the way we can make a huge difference to the way serious problem that cuts across most of manage the use of natural we manage the use of natural resources the world and G20 countries. They have in agriculture. It is important for the world to find answers that can improve the fi- resources in agriculture. leaders to take this agenda forward and

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find regulatory and commercial structures that will make technological tools available for the benefit of food and agriculture field uniformly across the world.

Seeds and Planting Material Seeds and planting material need special mention among all agricultural inputs not just because this is the most important input carrying genetic potential that can benefit humanity but also because they become controversial in different parts of the world. It is vitally important that farmers use high quality seed every time they plant a crop. Unfortunately public institutions have run out of steam in funding crop development research, and private industry takes interest in seeds where their commercial interests lie. This leaves large OP variety crops without adequate research funding leading to low genetic gain. Some of them are staple food crops like wheat, rice, millets, root crops and nutritious crops like vegetables, oilseeds biodiversity and proprietorship of biologi- organizations is to be built covering farm and lentils, and forage crops for the live- cal resources of the communities. and non-farm activities of farmers in a stock. Financial systems, consisting of credit comprehensive way. World leaders have to find a way of and insurance products and services India has a huge role to play in bring- funding research in improving such crops have to be made available to farmers ing all these aspects of food, nutrition and and to make them resilient to climate so that their risks are covered and their agriculture to the centre stage during its change. Modern tools like genomics, financial wherewithal is built over a period tenure of leadership of G20. India is a ma- gene editing in addition to traditional plant of time. Using modern digital technologies jor contributor to the pool of agricultural breeding have to be dovetailed to support the financial institutions should be able to land, number of small holder farmers, these crops. Cropping systems in different offer these services in a seamless man- crop diversity, agro-climatic conditions countries have to be optimized by mak- ner to the farmers as they offer to their and food systems of the world. India can ing seed the carrier of all the good things urban counterparts. Digital land records, benefit from bringing all the above aspects needed in our food. Seed systems have collateral management, digital market into a seamless stream of knowledge and to be professionalized and augmented in linkages for the produce and similar infra- experience sharing across countries. At the poorer nations who are struggling to structure are essential for the success of the same time India can also contribute reach the levels of stable food production this effort. towards making this work for many other and security that others have reached. developing countries. India should take This needs a major discussion among the Diversification of Agriculture lead in getting some of the policy level de- world leaders so that institutional infra- Farmers’ incomes have to be strength- cisions on the above aspects hammered structure is put in place towards this end. ened through diversification. Livestock, out among G20 countries during its ten- There are several other subjects like dairy, fisheries, birds and other sources ure. biodiversity, international movement of of non-farm income for the farmers are to The G20 leaders have to show un- germplasm and intellectual property man- be built on a strong platform with funding, flinching commitment to achieving the agement in agriculture which need spe- insurance, technical advice, linkage to Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, cial attention of the world leaders. These markets and digital support systems. This especially those impacting food, nutrition subjects have to be sorted out in such a will reduce vulnerability of farmers’ lives and agriculture - which kept the world way to facilitate smooth and seamless due to crop failure for reasons like abiotic going during COVID-19 pandemic. They use of these resources for the common and biotic stresses. A robust structure of have to build a more equitable world in the good while simultaneously protecting the farmer cooperatives and farmer producer post-COVID situation.

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Processed Food Compatibility of Indian Logistics Infrastructure rocessed food is growing at a fast pace in India. The demand for ready- to-eat meals, healthy and immunity boosting food choices,P safe and processed snacks have also become drivers to growth. Home delivery of packaged and processed food has shifted from mere convenience to a necessity. The challenges of the pandemic have created immense opportunities to drive both investments and infrastructure. India is one of the largest producers of most of the foodgrains, sugar and

about the authors edible oils, but the focus of the food processing industry largely has been Mr Anand Chandra is Executive Director for Arya on beverages and dairy products. This Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd, India’s is further corroborated by the fact that leading post-harvest agri-tech company. Through less than 10% of India’s grans / oilseed its profitable business model spread across 1,500 output is being processed. This opens warehouses in 20 states, Arya helps farmers, up large possibilities and opportunities to aggregators, Farmer Producer Organisations, food scale both in terms of the processed food processors and end-user corporates avoid post-harvest industry and the logistics that surround it. losses With urbanisation and increasing access to the market through Ms Ann Thomas heads communication for Arya. She interventions of e-market players, has worked closely with the management at design consumer preferences have seen a houses, institutions, start ups and media houses to shift from unpackaged to branded and design various internal processes, and with government packaged goods. This has set up the organisations like BBMP and Namma Metro to look at platform for exponential growth for India’s art and activism in public spaces food processing industry. By 2024, the food processing industry is expected

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to attract USD 33 bn investments and markets. According to the United Nations generate employment for around 9 Development Programme, up to 40 per million people. By 2030, our annual cent of the perishable food produced consumption is expected to make India in India is wasted. Food Processing is the fifth largest consumer. essential to reduce wastage. With the To bolster this growth, efforts need to right balance of storage infrastructure be directed to strengthen the distribution and food processing a large part of these channels, enhance the logistics perishable commodities can be stored, infrastructure, ramp up the technology Mr Anand Chandra: One thing I packaged, marketed and preserved for and digitisation of value chains. Alongside cannot live without is action. Put later consumption and better returns. implementation of emerging technology me on a desktop job and I will die Approximately 60 percent of India’s such as artificial intelligence, machine of boredom rural households still depend primarily learning, blockchain and IoT can create on agriculture for employment. To enormous breakthroughs. Emerging increase their incomes and generate technologies can be a game-changer further employment, value addition to in building a strong logistics foundation their produce through primarily level and which can enhance the traceability and secondary level food processing comes ensure proper mapping of supply with through as an easy solution. demand. As India’s largest agri-warehousing player, with 85 percent of our operations Value addition for Impact in primary and secondary agricultural Farmers have been forced to sell their markets, we at Arya have found great produce in distress immediately after success in working with Farmer Producer Ms Ann Thomas: Change is what harvest, when prices are often at their I crave - pushing around furniture Organisations in meeting the growing lowest. Surplus gets wasted or dumped today, baking tomorrow, writing, needs of the food industry. to save transportation costs which researching, colouring - anything are higher than the commodity value that breaks the monotony The Role of FPOs or due to lack of access to consumer As FPOs farmers aggregate the farmers’ produce, a primary level of quality assessment in the form of sorting and grading perishable commodities like Tomato, Potato etc at the farmgates can save costs and improve returns. Once the products have been graded, these can easily be categorised for immediate sale, storage and processing. With FPOs aggregating the produce on behalf of the members farmers, large volumes enable access to far off markets at rationalised transportation costs. Value addition through simple processes of drying, pickling, pulping, etc can ensure greater returns for produce and save huge wastage of food produce. Improved logistics and distribution channels allow access to new markets and direct consumers. The farmers can easily connect to consumers anywhere across the world with homegrown produce, if equipped with food customization and promotion of ethnic food chains.

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Logistics for Processed Food Being a key enabler of multiple other industries operating in the country, the advancement of the logistics sector is critical to ensure an overall growth of the Indian economy. According to Fortune India, India’s logistics sector, currently valued at USD 160 billion, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 percent to USD 215 billion by 2022. Implementation of advanced technology and refined processes to boost knowledge, improvements and new strategies is key to attain profitability. With planning, implementation and control of goods through digitisation of commodity, movements have become faster and efficient. farmers, processors and retailers in a increasing the shelf life, reducing damage Only 10-15 percent of the Indian well-defined agri/horticultural zone with in transit and increasing access to distant logistics market is owned by organised state of the art infrastructure including markets. Relevant packaging to preserve players. With the pressing need to reduce collection centers, primary processing the produce while keeping quality logistics costs, India’s highly fragmented centers, central processing centers and intact during longer hours of transport logistics market would benefit to get cold chains. can further facilitate the movement of more organised or aggregated. There is Strengthening our cold chain produce. With the opening up of markets still the need for an integrated well-knit infrastructure with refrigerated transport due to intervention of e-market players, network of logistics enablers-rail, road, to bridge gaps in the value chain and the need for proper and sustainable air and waterways. improved market linkages are key to the packaging material is critical. The recent stimulus package of Rs growth of the agri-processing industry. Building a robust logistics 1.5-lakh-crore announced by GOI to Another criteria to improve logistics of infrastructure and streamlining the strengthen logistics is a positive step in this processed food is to push for research agricultural supply chain is key to a direction. The introduction of mega food and developments in the packaging stronger economy. It will minimise parks with Plug and Play Infrastructure sector for transportation of these wastage, benefit allied sectors, generate for agri-commodities can effectively add packaged foods. Better packaging will employment and above all provide better value to the value chains. Mega food bolster the growth of the industry and prices to farmers improving their life and parks are envisaged to bring together increase the income of the producer by living conditions.

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Livestock Products We Have Enough, But is it Good Enough? “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”, states the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 of the Global Agenda 2030. Target 12.3 of this goal aims to “by 2030, halve the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses”. According to the estimate of The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), “each year, approximately one third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted”. FAO urges nations to cut current food loss levels in half by 2030 to improve global food security and public health. To achieve this aim, the use of innovative new approaches and technology is the FAO’s recommended strategy. It is in this context and perspective about the that we should appreciate the importance of value addition author as a key solution to solving the Mr Tarun Shridhar problem of food loss in both is former developed and developing Secretary, Ministry countries, while at the same of Fisheries, time benefiting stakeholders Animal Husbandry throughout the supply chain. and Dairying, Value addition is variously Government of defined by the academia as India transformation of raw agricultural

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 35 Understanding Value Addition

product into a new and economically or reduces its value. So you have Tuna of an increased shelf life or more milk more beneficial product through the being sold approximately at ₹ 75,000 products is woefully lacking. In fact, our means of packaging, processing etc. or more per kg but at the other end of halwais appear to have a much greater from its raw into a new form. This the spectrum the same Tuna may be understanding of the milk market. They definition may be correct, but it is not getting a price of no more than ₹ 250 or manage to make three to four times complete. While some commodities less per kg. The difference between the the money by a minimal conversion necessarily require value addition two is little more than the temperature it of milk. Reduce the moisture and add before their consumption as food (like is stored and handled at. Do you know sugar is the basic process in most of converting wheat into flour), some that a Tuna caught today, when handled, our traditional mithais which continue others such as vegetables, fruit, poultry stored and processed well, would carry to command immense popularity and etc. are best preferred raw by the a label such as “Best before June, mass appeal all across the country. The consumers. In the latter, value addition, 2023”. Yes, the fish, most perishable same popularity cannot assigned to if any, is minimal. of food commodities, would remain as chocolates or pies. fresh as the same day catch even after We have done really well on lassi, Freshness is key two years. paneer, dahi, chhaas etc. but we need In the Indian context where the to graduate beyond even the popular consumer puts a high degree of Value Addition For Livestock shrikhand and mishti doi. Therefore, premium on purchase of fresh and raw Products a sea of opportunity exists for the agriculture products, the most valuable Only about 20 to 25 pc milk is handled organised dairy sector to branch off into value addition would be freshness. And by the organised sector, including the industrial production of a vast range of in the case of livestock products, be it cooperatives. Value addition in the form traditional Indian sweets. This further dairy or meat or fish, it is freshness, opens the window for large scale khoa and freshness alone, that continues production for providing the consumer to be the most dominant determinant with hygienic milk-based sweets. The of the value of the product. No wonder A sea of opportunity exists for the unique strength of traditional Indian the Sashimi grade Tuna, which the organised dairy sector to branch off sweets is their acceptability to all kinds Japanese consume fresh and raw, is the of palates. So why not attempt to break most expensive fish, at times fetching into industrial production of a vast the global hegemony of chocolate, the an unbelievable price of above US$ range of traditional Indian sweets. most widely consumed milk product. 1000 for one kilogram. This further opens the window for Value addition in the case of this The Poultry Industry product would simply be freezing it at large scale khoa production. Why At 103.93 billion eggs in 2018-19, India -60 degree celsius quickly after it is not attempt to break the global is the world’s third biggest producer caught and till it reaches the retail end. hegemony of chocolate, the most after China (566 billion) and the US (109 In fact, it is the degree of temperature at billion). From 1.82 billion eggs in 1950- which the fish is handled that increases widely consumed milk product? 51, 10.06 billion in 1980-81 and 36.63

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billion in 2000-01, this represents a huge jump. The encouraging part about the poultry sector in India, spectacular growth apart, is that it has transformed what was a supplementary backyard activity to a highly-organised farming business. Today, over 80 pc of both egg and poultry meat production in the country is in the organised sector. This industry is far more organised than even dairying, where not even a quarter of the milk produced is handled by cooperatives and private corporate players. At an average rate of Rs 5, the 100 billion-plus egg production would be worth over Rs 50,000 crore annually. Roughly 4 million tonnes of poultry meat at Rs 75/kg will add another Rs 30,000 crore. In India the constraint has been the long distance even this most organised However, the poultry industry’s of agro industries has to travel. Wet development has been highly skewed. absence of easy supply of frozen markets are likely to start withering More than half of India’s egg production and processed meat rather than away, unless they reinvent themselves is accounted for by just three southern lack of demand. With a meager in terms of food safety and hygiene. In states: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh fact, in India the constraint has been and Telangana. Secondly, despite 6 percent poultry being chilled, the absence of easy supply of frozen the industry’s relatively organised frozen and processed, and less and processed meat rather than lack character, our productivity levels are than 1 percent converted into value of demand. With a meagre 6 pc poultry still low. An average laying hen in the being chilled, frozen and processed, US produces about 290 eggs per year. added products, the challenge is and less than 1 pc converted into The number in India is about 108 from huge for us value added products, the challenge desi and 209 from improved birds. Yet, is huge for us. And here lie the future poultry’s advantage over other livestock opportunities: safe, hygienic, fresh sectors in India is that it is an already mostly small, has been integrated along products. True value addition, as in fish, organised industry. Almost every farmer, the value chain. Also, few industries would mean freshness and hygiene. offer scope for rural entrepreneurship “Sometimes, frozen can be more with relatively low investment and short nutritious than fresh”, said Krish Ashok gestation/payment as poultry. in an informative and interesting article While domestic consumption should in the Mint Lounge of May 8. He goes on at least double, there is a need to also to advise an approach based on science focus on exports. India contributes more and nuance while selecting ingredients than 5 pc to global egg production, but for food as fresh is “not necessarily the its share in exports is less than 1 pc. As ideal state to eat everything”. So we against a close Number 3 behind the would be well advised to distinguish US in production, we rank a lowly 32nd between raw and fresh when we make or so in exports, behind even the likes of a choice of our livestock product next Turkey and Lithuania. time. Ask the question: Is fresh really In 2018-19, our total export of bird fresh? And is Value Added truly value eggs and powder (mainly dried yolk) added? A true value addition would be amounted to a paltry Rs 618 crore. The value for every player in the production fact that there are only a handful of egg and supply chain – the consumer, the processing plants – all, not surprisingly, processor, the retailer, and above all the in the South. This is testimony to the farmer.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 37 The Road Ahead Food Processing way to a strong agri economy

facturing sector and final consumers. The sector is critical to increasing the farmer’s income in India through value addition and reducing wastage, resulting in enhanced income for farmers in India. As the fifth largest sector in India, food processing contributes about 9.5 pc to GVA and 13 pc to employment in the manufacturing segment. A recently released report by KPMG in India titled Indian Food Processing Industry: Growth Op- portunities Post the Covid-19 Pandemic estimates that the sector is currently valued at USD 263 billion (2019) with a 5-year CAGR of 11 pc. The sector offers significant potential for increase of farmers’ income in India. There are two lenses to gauge this opportunity. First, there is significant demand potential (domestic/ export) and second, various interventions by government and industry to increase processing ca- espite being a leader in the production of sev- pacities in India are expected to lead to higher value addition. eral agricultural commodities, India’s agriculture The above mentioned report also estimates that the food sector is primarily characterized by high wastage post-harvest (up to 16 pc in perishable products such as fruits and vegetables), lack of mechani- about the author zation,D low yield and lower levels of value addition compared to their global counterparts. This has prevented farmers from real- Mr Mohit Bhasin is izing the true potential of their crops, resulting in significantly Partner and National Leader, Economic lower incomes. Development Advisory, The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is mandated to KPMG in India reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food processing levels in India. The food processing sector links agriculture, manu-

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high-quality infrastructure such as Mega Food Park with world-class facilities and modern storage facilities, Cold Chain, testing laboratories etc. The scheme also envisages setting up of near farm infrastructure such as Agri Processing Clusters which are aimed at creating primary processing facilities. Recently announced Agriculture In- fra Fund worth INR 1 trillion - provides support to a large number of beneficiaries including Farmer Producers Organi- zations (FPOs), Self Help Group (SHG), Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, processing industry in India is expected Agri-entrepreneurs, startups etc. by way to reach USD 535 billion by 2025 (CAGR of interest subsidy. 15 pc). Currently, food processing levels However, efforts need to be made to in India are only 10 pc, which is signifi- ensure that the scheme benefits reach cantly lower than its global peers (levels the intended beneficiaries - small & mar- up to 55 pc in European countries). The ginal farmers (82% of overall farmers) inherent tastes of our multi-cultural so- who have no bargaining strength and do ciety, propensity to consume fresh food There have been multiple case stud- not aggregate their produce. and the traditional distrust of outside food ies that emphasize a change in cropping On a policy front, several State Gov- and its quality have hampered growth in patterns and an increase in the prosper- ernments have identified Food Process- the food processing sector. However, in- ity of farmers when they are enabled to ing as a thrust /important/ focus sector creasing urbanization, rise in disposable produce crops for profit rather than sus- for attracting investments in the State. income, availability of a greater variety tenance. In western Uttar Pradesh, farm- This is expected to increase processing of processed food, increasing demand ers prefer to grow Sugarcane, in Madhya capacities and lead to higher raw mate- from Tier 2/3 cities, and the emergence Pradesh they prefer Soyabean and the rial/ primary processed product sourcing of E-commerce has brought a change in success of exports of pickled Cucumber & opportunities from farmers. food consumption patterns of the coun- Gherkins has changed cropping patterns Going forward, the Government try and propelled the Food Processing in more than 20 districts in Karnataka, needs to ensure fairness by producers industry towards a growth trajectory which later spread to neighbouring States. so that farmers get a better realization leading to higher processing levels. The On the supply front, the lack of cold of the money earned across the value Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased chain infrastructure, modern logistics chain. A policy intervention or regulation acceptance of processed food. In addi- and storage infrastructure are the pri- in this regard is the need of the hour. tion, there is significant potential in the mary reasons behind high levels of post- In conclusion, the rise of the Food export market as well. harvest wastage of Agriculture produce Processing sector provides several op- The increased demand for pro- in India. portunities for increasing farmers’ in- cessed food is a potential opportunity for There have been multiple efforts come. Several interventions have been farmers in terms of increased produc- from the Central Government as well as planned by the Government but more tion, greater demand for raw material State Governments to reduce post-har- are needed to ensure that their end ob- for value-added products, diversification vest wastage through the development jectives are met. from grain-based crops to horticulture, of storage and supply chain infrastruc- To sum up, the KPMG in India report production of high-value processable va- ture, development of processing infra- mentioned above also highlights some rieties - all of which can add to farmers’ structure and subsidising of investments of these interventions such as increas- income. There is a dire need for increas- in the Food Processing Sector. Major ing adoption of technology, encouraging ing and enhancing processing facilities schemes by Government of India in- product innovation, high quality infra- at farm-gate level (currently very primi- clude schemes such as Pradhan Mantri structure in cold chains, quality testing tive), for farmers to rise higher in Food Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) which & certification and focus on integrated Processing value chain. provides subsidy for the development of inter-ministerial approach.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 39 Industry Speak Supporting Agriculture Through Value Addition Role Of Indian Sugar Sector ugar is the second larg- heartland of the country and has played and the industry has seamless interest agro based industry a very important role in the development face/round the year engagement with supporting over 50 million and prosperity of rural India. Apart from the growers and the local community. As farmers along with direct sourcing sugarcane and generating em- a result of the consistent efforts of the and indirect employment to ployment, this industry spearheads nu- sugar industry, there has been significant aroundS 12 percent of rural population in merous sugarcane development initia- improvement in sugarcane productivity. major sugar producing states. The turn- tives, CSR initiatives and sustainability This has led to increase in the farmers’ in- over of the industry is in the range of Rs. practices which have a direct impact on come, which is essential from the growth 100,000 crores, out of which Rs. 80,000 the livelihoods of the rural population. of the industry. crores accrues to the sugarcane growers. During the Covid pandemic, the sugar in- Today majority of the sugar complexes dustry has risen to the occasion and con- Noteworthy Contributions of are not only producing sugar but are also tributed in all possible ways. Most notably, Sugar Sector contributing to the energy security of the the industry has been in the forefront in Contributions and achievements of the nation by supplying green power and the production and distribution of sanitiz- sugar sector are quite significant by utili- green fuel. The industry is also saving ers, and currently in the process of setting zation of all its products and by-products precious foreign exchange to the tune of up of oxygen plants. with integration and diversification. around Rs. 7,000 crores. It is one of the few sectors where Sugar industry is located in rural practically no intermediaries are there Sugar The national sugar production has been about the author consistent and in the range of 30-31 MT Mr Roshan Lal Tamak heads the per annum. Out of this, 25-26 MT is con- Sugar and Ethanol businesses at sumed domestically, making India the DCM Shriram Ltd as its Executive largest consumer of sugar in the world. Director & CEO. He has more than The country is also the second highest three decades of distinguished producer of sugar after Brazil and is now professional experience of the sugar sector in leading companies a strategic exporter as well. India has ex- like Balrampur, Dhampur, ported 6 MT of sugar in 2019-20 and shall Mawana and Olam. Mr Tamak export approximately 6 MT in 2020-21 as has successfully championed well. These exports helped the industry in sustainability initiatives in reducing the surplus inventory. agriculture and factories. He is a key member of various industry platforms like ISMA, CII, Ethanol Bonsucro-London, International Now the industry is actively working to di- Society of Sugar Technologists vert the excess sugarcane produced by (ISSCT), Mauritius, Research way of B-heavy molasses and sugarcane Advisory Committee of ICAR-IISR, juice, and produce ethanol under the ae- etc. He has been bestowed with gis of Ethanol Blending Program of GOI. many global and national awards Currently national production is around

40 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Industry Speak

try. There are miles to go to extend the benefit to our entire farming community.

Role of Sugar Industry in supporting Food Processing and Agriculture The sugar sector is uniquely placed, and can play a pivotal role in providing impe- tus to the food processing sector of the country. It has the following inherent ad- 3.5 billion litres of ethanol, annually. Mo- tainable Alternative Towards Affordable vantages: lasses, the by-product of sugar manufac- Transportation) scheme shall also help n Sugar complexes are located exactly turing, is the main feedstock for ethanol. in adding clean and green fuel which will at the origin for agri-produce i.e. rural In- India has achieved the blending level of help in reducing pollution levels. dia. Over the years they have established approximately 7.5 percent. The govern- These are some examples of value their agri-value chain and supply chain ment is intending to achieve 20 percent addition and a circular economy. linkages. For any new comer it takes a by 2025. The benefits emanated under lot of time to establish the supply chain this flagship program are noteworthy: Role of Food Processing linkage and credibility amongst growers. n Diversion of excess sugar to ethanol Industry in Supporting The sugar industry operating since de- shall aid sugar mills in making timely pay- Agriculture cades has this advantage. All sugar facto- ments to growers. At present, around 2 Agricultural produce is perishable in na- ries have a well-oiled extension network MT of excess sugar is diverted to ethanol ture. Most Indian farmers have small land which can be used for educating growers annually. This is going to increase further holdings and therefore no means to store for production of other crops as well. as millers are adding capacities with the and process their produce. Approximately n Sugar factories have the basic infra- financial assistance being provided by 40 percent of total food produced in India structure readily available for food pro- GOI. is wasted, as per a report published by cessing such as power, manpower, ma- n Well distributed production centres for the Food and Agricultural Organization, chinery and production capabilities. The Ethanol will help in reducing transporta- UN. The food processing sector can play industry produces excess green power tion costs a vital role in reducing the wastage of per- which can be used for setting up cold n Reduction of crude import shall en- ishable agricultural produce, enhancing chain infrastructure and warehousing fa- able the country to become Atma Nirbhar the shelf life of food products and ensur- cilities adjacent to the existing mills. n INR 40,000 Cr investment in the ca- ing value addition to agricultural produce. n On the market side, the fundamental pacity building projects will lead to in- This will also help in diversification and market linkages for selling the processed creased employment in distilleries commercialization of agriculture, genera- food are available, and selling other prod- n Environmental benefits from clean tion of employment, enhancing income ucts will be an adjacency only. and green fuels of farmers and creating surplus for the Sugar sector is the largest sector in n export of agro and processed foods. This Bagasse based Co-generation organized food processing of the country. The annual production of 3000 MW of sector has been gaining traction benefit- It has established itself as a major con- clean and green power by the industry ing farmers in some pockets of the coun- tributor of bio energy in terms of clean produced as cogeneration from another and green power and fuel. Sugarcane- by-product bagasse is supporting nation- based feedstock is the mainstay of the al energy security. flagship Ethanol Blending Program, which is a progressive and fast-tracked Press-mud initiative of GOI. Additionally, progress The industry supports farmers by offer- has commenced in more areas like pro- ing high quality manure in the form of ducing Bio CNG under the SATAT pro- press-mud at affordable rates. This helps gram of the government. in increasing the organic carbon content The sugar industry is well poised and of the soil and enhances soil health. New- Mr Tamak likes to read books on can support Indian agriculture by turning er initiatives by the industry such as the management skills and leadership sugar complexes into bio-energy hubs setting up of compressed biogas (CBG) trends. He is a passionate listener and agri-processing hubs in the times to plants under the aegis of SATAT (Sus- of Punjabi folk songs come.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 41 Ready Market, Fair Price BRAND NAFED Kisan Se Kitchen Tak Serving the Farmers and Consumers

he National Agricultural Co- produce and forest resources across the operative Marketing Federa- nation. Agricultural farmers are the main tion of India Ltd. (Nafed) is an members of Nafed, who have a say in the apex organization of market- working of Nafed in the form of members ing cooperatives for agricul- of the General Body. Ttural produce in India. It was established Nafed has a three tier-structure with on the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti Nafed at the top of the tier, primary coop- on 2nd October 1958 and is registered erative marketing / processing societies under the Multi State Co-operative Soci- at the bottom and state level marketing/ eties Act. More than 60 Years in Service tribal/commodity federations in the mid- Nafed was founded with the objec- dle. Some national /apex level marketing tive to promote the trade of agricultural / consumer cooperative federations are

42 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Ready Market, Fair Price

also members of Nafed. der the brand Nafed Bazaar, through its Few of the recent additions in the The activities of Nafed add to the bet- Consumer Marketing Division. NAFED branded Products are NAFED terment of agriculture and post-harvest Nafed Bazaar stores provide grocery Masala (Whole and Powder: More than of the produce. Nafed procures stocks and consumer items at affordable prices 25 varieties), NAFED Besan, NAFED directly from the farmers in regulated to consumers. The chain will soon be ex- Rice (10 Varieties). mandies via open auction through the panded to a network of over 200 stores NAFED is also in the process of cooperative infrastructure. In this way, across India. launching fortified Rice Bran Oil, Nilgiri’s Nafed provides farmers with a ready Teas, Atta, Suji, Maida, Dalia and other market, fair price, and prevents their ex- Nafed Product Range grocery products. ploitation at the hands of private traders. One of the most popular consumer prod- Nafed provides support to the farmers by ucts is Nafed Brand Tea available in two CO-Branding with others way of implementing various schemes of variants namely Nafed CTC and Nafed NAFED continues to support organic cul- Central Government/State Governments PREMIUM. NAFED brand tea bags are tivators across the country by providing such as PSS, PSF, and MIS. Nafed also available in ten flavors - Assam CTC, the requisite market linkages for ensur- procures various agricultural commodi- Green Tea, Green Tea (Tulsi), Green Tea ing a better price recovery. The product ties directly from farmers at mandi level (Lemon), Earl Grey, English Breakfast range under its ambit has now increased through its cooperative network. Tea, Masala Tea, Slimming Tea, Jas- to 90. These new products launched un- Nafed has also been nominated for mine, Green Tea and Rose Tea. Nafed der brand name of Organic Soul include supply of pulses to the Army, Central Tea is one of the tastiest flavored teas of pulses, spices, grains, flours, honey, ed- Para Military Forces, and to states un- India. ible oils, flex seeds, chia seeds, tea etc. der different welfare schemes such as NAFED Pulses are one of the most PDS, MDM and ICDS out of the nation- sought out product from our Portfolio. Institutional Sales al buffer. Nafed has recently entered NAFED has launched more than 16 va- Nafed supplies grocery items and vari- into an MoU with the Ministry of Food rieties of pulses under its brand name ous other FMCG products to a large Processing Industries to further the ob- NAFED Pulses. number of government institutions. Nafed jectives of the Prime Minster Formali- NAFED also deals in different va- will soon start supplying stationery and sation of Micro food processing Enter- rieties for Dry fruits under brand name office supplies as well. prises (PMFME) scheme. As part of the NAFED Dryfruits. With exclusive tie-ups with major collaboration, Nafed will develop a new brands and a robust warehousing and brand NAFED FOOD to market the supply chain network, Nafed is well products produced under the PMFME placed to provide the best prices and programme. speedy service to our institutional buy- ers. Nafed also undertakes supply of NAFED BAZAARS: Serving the specific items as per the requirement Consumers of our institutional clients. We also sup- To serve the broader social objective of ply special corporate gift packs featuring making essential items of daily needs 100 percent organic items as well as ex- available to the consumers at affordable clusive regional produce like fruit, grains rates, Nafed operates several stores, un- and spices.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 43 Opportunities of Processed Poultry and Dairy products in India ndia is the second largest producer Producers often bear reduced margins of eggs and fourth largest producer or even losses to sustain farming vol- of chicken. Valued at more than Rs umes. 1 trillion, the poultry industry sup- A well-developed processed meat ports more than 25 million farm- market will benefit both producers and ersI and employs over five million. Unlike consumers. Processing increases the Brazil and the US, where nearly 80% of shelf life of meat and meat products. It meat sold is packaged and processed, enables producers to absorb demand the poultry industry in India depends shocks through improved inventory con- on wet markets. Consumers prefer to trol. The ability to store the product also buy fresh meat. With Covid, consumers protects producers from unexpected have started realizing that fresh doesn’t price crashes. always translate into clean. As per KPMG data, going by con- This transition in mindset is the trig- sumer preference, the need for hygieni- ger for exponential growth expected cally packed meat untouched by hand in processed and value-added poultry will increase. Indian customers will start market which is presently only 5-10 pc, asking for traceability, non-usage of an- depending on the geography. There is tibiotics/chemicals as add on features. clear opportunity to double or even triple This shall encourage some existing play- the size of processed poultry meat in In- ers to forward integrate into a processed dia. According to an estimate, the poultry branded market domain in sync with fu- processing industry in India is expected ture consumer trends. to expand at CAGR of more than 12 pc about the author between 2018 and 2023, to reach a val- The Challenges ue of Rs 107.6 bn in 2023. Dr (Capt) Tanweer Alam is Marketing The challenges ahead will be reaching Director, Kemin Industries South A major pain area for Indian poul- out to consumers on how nutritive qual- Asia. Observing consumer behavior try producers is that consumption cycle ity remains undisturbed with processing and fore-sighting consumption trends is not constant. It is also unpredictable. fascinates him and also upgrading the processing and

44 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 New Horizons

supply chain infrastructure, including EBIT of milk and SMP is in single digit. a robust cold chain set up. Packaging The same for value added products can needs attention. In one survey, nine in 10 be more than 20 pc. It requires under- consumers said they rank packaging to standing of market’s unique characteris- prevent contamination high for food pur- tics, supply and demand dynamics and chase. Two in three said they wished that urge to innovate continuously to meet meat had more protective packaging. Dr Alam is fond of long distance the consumers’ choice of product mix, solo running and playing squash. Sometimes during leisure hours, and achieve success. Covid has made he likes to pen his thoughts on his this understanding even more relevant. blog page While packaged liquid milk continues to remain a key driver in the Indian Indus- try, value-added products are promising milk processing capacities from the cur- growth of 15-20 pc YOY. rent 53.5 million tons to 108 million tons by 2025. This will help in increasing the Consumer trends as driver of present 23 pc share of value-added pro- growth cessed milk to more than 40 pc. Trend of COVID has disrupted consumer be- increase in processing capacities in the havior. Many more disruptions are still private sector and also the cooperative to come. One of the disruptions is HO- Opportunities in Dairy Market sector is encouraging. There are excel- RECA (syllabic abbreviation of Hotel/ India stands tallest across the world with lent prospects for value added and pro- Restaurant/Café) loss. But milk retailers more than 195 MMT annual milk produc- cessed milk and milk products. have gained as family consumption has tion. While 48 pc of milk produced is con- Processing and value addition in registered a major increase. A McKinsey sumed by dairy farmers themselves, 52 dairy industry has twin advantages. Con- research report suggested that during pc goes to the market. Out of this, about sumers get to drink and eat milk as per Covid, about 65 percent consumers tried 20 pc is processed by the cooperative their taste and choices. Better realization a new or alternate brand. Nearly 10 per- sector, about 30 pc by branded private of value of milk can significantly impact cent do not intend to switch back. companies and the balance by the un- the earning of more than 70 million dairy Both dairy and poultry market are organized sector. The key to note is the farmers. Almost 50 pc of total milk in seeing an accelerated shift from loose proliferation of private dairy enterprises. India comes from buffaloes. It is much or unbranded to the packed segment. They account for more than 60 pc dairy creamier and suitable for value added Consumers are increasingly conscious processing capacity. In the cooperative products like mozzarella, curd etc. This of hygiene and safety. Many regional sector, processing capacity is skewed. offers us a unique advantage. brands are getting amazing customer Gujarat alone accounts for 46 pc of it. It is noteworthy that the success of appreciation. Functional food is not a Other states are expanding exponen- a value adder and processor depends fad. It is here to stay. Consumers have tially now. on finding the sweet spot of growth, fundamentally changed their attitudes to India has set its eyes on doubling margin and investment. In general, the health and wellness. Immunity is a big USP. Consumers prefer to cook dishes at home and have started realizing the cost saving. The also have a much more discerning eye on value for money. Any- one who had been splurging money of packaging and the look and feel of the product may have to think twice. It may not work as the only mantra to please consumers. Consumers now insist on hygienic, value-added and trustworthy products at their doorstep with compassionate communication and humanized digital experience. Hope the industry is ready to serve the new genre of consumers!

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 45 TheWa Roy Tado G Arheadow

Agriculture Trade from India SWOT analysis towards policy making ndia is one of the world’s five larg- optimally converting into enhanced pres- global players highlights the need for an est producers of livestock and ence of these products in the global mar- immediate policy focus towards bridging poultry meat, with one of the fast- ket as exports; but has so far been only this gap. est growth rates. India ranked with- a little more than a mirage. A few exam- The hiatus is attributed to the fact, in the world’s five largest producers ples illustrate this unrealised potential. that there exists stiff competition for all ofI over 80 per cent of agricultural pro- India is the largest producer of milk and these sectors. Brazil gives India tough duce items, including many cash crops milk products but its share in total world competition in case of sugar, coffee, to- such as coffee and cotton. India is the exports is a meagre 0.2 per cent; for ce- bacco and mango. USA competes for world’s largest producer of many fresh reals it is 1.4 per cent; coffee, tea and groundnut, rice, tobacco, grape, apples, fruits and vegetables, milk, major spices, spices 4.4 per cent; and fisheries only wheat, poultry meat and fish exports; select fresh meats, select fibrous crops 2.6 per cent. This paradox is further sub- while China has recently emerged as such as jute, several staples such as stantiated by comparative rank analysis major competitor for groundnut, apple wheat, rice, millets and castor oil seed. between production and exports. and fish. Even smaller economies like India is the second largest producer of Vietnam and Turkey are occupying much wheat and rice, the world’s major food Stiff Global Competition larger share in the global markets as staples. India is also the world’s second The comparisons throw upon alarm- compared to India. or third largest producer of several dry ing situation, especially in case of fruits A prime challenge is that India’s ex- fruits, agriculture-based textile raw ma- and vegetables where India is the larg- port markets do not match with prime terials, roots and tuber crops, pulses, est producer of many fruits including importing countries for respective prod- farmed fish, eggs, coconut, sugarcane banana, mango, papaya; third largest ucts. The dissonance between India’s and numerous vegetables. for apples; mangoes with total number global ranking between production and of varieties across various agro climatic exports may be attributed to both sup- Strong production base, but not zones of India crossing approx 1000 still ply side as well as demand side issues. able to leverage international leading to 25th position when it comes to The sufficiency condition for achieving a market exports. Comparative analysis of India’s robust export status warrants that all de- Higher marketable surpluses should be production versus exports vis-à-vis other mand side issues be addressed.

46 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 TheWa Roy Tado G Arheadow

Production versus Exports: India’s status versus World Supply and demand side issues Agri Products India’s Share Rank in World Instances of very high final landing price In World as compared to other competing suppli- Production Exports Exports ers can be witnessed in case of mangoes in the USA, which is one of the Coffee, Mate & Spices 4.4 5 5 biggest importers of mangoes and tea. Tea 4.1 2 5 Similar situation prevails in case of tea in US; rice in UK, refined sugar in Australia Sugars 1.9 2 10 and similarly in most other cases. Hence Fish 2.6 2 12 India is losing out on export opportunity available in the developed country mar- Oil seed 1.5 1 12 kets where demands for agri-imports are Cereals 1.4 3 14 on rise. Tobacco 1.7 3 15 Tariff escalation: a challenge for value added food exports: Currently Edible vegetables 1.5 2 17 only 8-10 per cent of the perishables Edible fruit 1 1 25 are processed in the country. Processed food industry is expanding globally and • Skill development and shelf life of the produce. Region and certain niche sectors in India can gain • Branding/Promotion commodity specific package of practices advantage. Further, a conducive export policy need to be developed and disseminated Rising non-tariff barrier for agro- and regulations framework is critical to reach the last mile. Farmers’ aware- India’s exports in existing markets: in ensuring competitiveness of India’s ness is critical to regulate the chemical farm exports also have to face a series agro-export trade globally. usage on the farm. This needs a coor- of non-tariff barriers in top consuming One of the dinated approach through active partici- markets, for example, a ban on import of Market intelligence: prime reasons of poor presence of In- pation of State Agriculture Departments, mangoes by EU. dian exports in the shelves of global Commodity Boards, Research Institu- retail chains is its inability to appreciate tions and APEDA. Making Indian Agro Globally the variation in consumer tastes and Competitive preferences across various importing Establishing Traceability systems This calls for adopting a eight-pronged countries. European Union directive Article 3(15) of strategy covering, Establishing cluster level FPOs regulation 178/2002 makes it mandatory • Product segmentation and wide network of farmers’ regis- for exporting units to establish the trace- • Quality enhancement tration: To comply with the norms of ability systems in their supply chains. • Market diversification importing nations, it is a requisite that This means the “ability to trace and fol- • Market penetration the produce is procured from registered low feed, food producing animal or sub- • Value addition farmers only. If the farmers’ registration stance intended to be, or expected to be • Agriculture infrastructure upgradation is not in place, exports may be adversely incorporated into a food or feed through affected. all stages of production, processing or Focussed training and skill devel- distribution. opment of FPOs: Unregulated input (chemicals) usage at the farm level, Establishing SPS/TBT inadequate harvest and post-harvest dissemination system management practices affect quality Frequent changes have been witnessed in the SPS/TBT regulations in the export about the author markets. In the absence of access to the actual and timely information on Sani- Dr Tamanna Chaturvedi is a tary and Phyto Sanitary (SPS) require- faculty member at Indian Institute ments in foreign markets, Indian farmers of Foreign Trade, Ministry of face significant delays and confusion. Commerce

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 47 Agri Support Empowering Women Farmers conomic Survey 2020-2021 states that the share of agriculture in the country’s GDP has reached almost 19.9 percent. Close to two-thirds of our population works in the agri sector, including women. While they comprise a large percentage of the agricultural workforce,E women have majorly been engaged in non-mechanised farm occupations. These include important activities such as sowing, winnowing, harvesting, as well as labour-intensive processes such as rice transplantation. Their talents can be furthered to contribute significantly to the agricultural sector. The Food and Agriculture Or- ganisation stipulates that globally, food production could increase by up to 30 percent and can help eliminate hunger for 150 million people, if women farmers are provided with the same resources as their male counterparts. In India too, regardless of their large presence and contribution, women farmers are not adequately equipped to succeed in farming. They are held back by barriers that prevent them from investing in their livelihoods. Due to cultural norms, women are considered the primary domestic caregivers and caretakers. The combination of productive labour-intensive farm work and domestic role takes a toll on their health, community engagements and economic options. This inequality is heightened by their limited access to labour-saving technologies, time-saving services, as well as farming infrastructure and best practices. This insufficient access to land, information, loans, and machinery become critical deterrents for sustaining and improving their lives as farmers. According to statistics released by the University of Maryland and NCAER 2018, women constitute over 42 percent of the agricultural labour force in India, but own less than 2 percent of farmland. In fact, 83 percent of agricultural land in India is inherited by

48 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Agri Support

male members - the reason why women inclusivity across the food and beverage in agriculture are not able to make their industry. We demonstrated that actively own decisions. engaging women as critical drivers of PepsiCo’s sustainable sourcing strat- GOI Initiatives For Gender Balance egy leads to better business results. We in Agriculture have provided potato production training GOI has rolled out many initiatives with a for 500 women farmers. The partnership thrust on strengthening community prac- expects to reach 1,500 women farmers tices and alleviating poor women farm- in WB. Our aim is to take the program ers. For example, the National Rural Live- to 300,000 women in WB through direct lihood Mission aims to empower women and community engagement measures. farmers to improve productivity, enhance PepsiCo plans to take the pro- participation, learn and practice sus- gramme to other states starting from tainable livelihoods. The program does Uttar Pradesh. Under the women em- this by investing in knowledge-building, about the author powerment initiative, we have started to skill-building, and capacity-building ac- Mr Pratap Bose is Associate empower women and create awareness tivities. One of its sub-programs, the Ma- Director, PepsiCo India on leveraging women in the manage- hila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, has ment of demo farms in the state. We are also helped women in self-help-groups working closely with women agrono- access services and resources that have mists who successfully manage the helped them enhance agricultural pro- demo farms and train connected grow- ductivity. While these programs are help- ers’ family members. ing the community, there is an ardent There is a significant contribution of need for a more focused approach. women in rural and agrarian economies Being an agri company at heart, Pep- have successfully empowered women and their role is only going to grow in the siCo India has a longstanding relation- farmers through training and offering coming years. From earning to providing ship with farmers for over 30 years. We on-ground support. In order to expand for family nutrition, to advancing agricul- have been working closely with 27,000 their horizons and educate them on sus- tural practices within their communities, farmers, including women, across 14 tainable farming practices, the PepsiCo the role of women farmers is becom- states in India. We are focused on trans- team has meticulously crafted training ing multi-dimensional. From a national forming their lives through our agricul- programs that focus on the best irriga- standpoint, recognizing that women tural initiatives - Collaborative Farming tion and crop rotation techniques, fi- need to be made a critical factor for ag- and Sustainable Farming. Through these nancial literacy and entrepreneurship. riculture and food production, either by programs, we have been able to benefit The project phases capture all the im- way ownership or resources or ability thousands of farmers across the country portant aspects of potato cultivation, to make decisions, can strengthen the - improving their overall income and liveli- starting from land preparation and seed sector. The National Policy for the Em- hood - and continue to work towards up- cutting; to harvesting, sowing and stor- powerment of Women 2001 pushes for lifting farmer communities with a special ing the produce. To make the process the economic and social empowerment focus on women farmers. easily comprehensible and immersive, of women. One of its primary mandates For example, we have been empow- we make use of flip charts, videos and includes women in agriculture, among ering women farmers to create a gender- matching cards. We have also been others. inclusive supply chain in partnership with supporting women farmers to lease PepsiCo India believes that closing the US Agency for International Develop- land. We have trained men and women the gender gap in agriculture shall ac- ment (USAID) under the Women’s Glob- to support gender norms and engage celerate food production and build a al Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) champions who are working to design sustainable future for women farmers. initiative. The initiative aims towards in- local approaches to more equitable and Promoting women empowerment in ag- cluding women in agriculture and helping sustainable agriculture. riculture is an opportunity to progress to- build a more sustainable food system. wards a more sustainable food system. PepsiCo and USAID Partnership The enhanced role as primary produc- Potato Farming in West Bengal To further boost the initiative, PepsiCo ers and higher participation in decision We started with a pilot project for po- and USAID announced a $20 million making will lead to the overall develop- tato farming in West Bengal (WB). We partnership in September 2020 to drive ment of the rural economy.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 49 One Planet

Indovation Driving Healthy Food Systems he role of food today is not limited to satiating one’s hunger. It has evolved to meet the health and wellness needs of an individual.T In today’s circumstances, the famous quote from Hippocrates ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’ holds true more than ever, as the pandemic puts the spotlight on health, wellbeing, diet, and immunity. All these are essentially linked, and we can no longer ignore the fine balance between food and health. There is an increased focus on immunity boosting foods and wellness products. The role of innovation has become critical to healthier food offerings. At Danone, we address these emerging trends. believe that innovation should address local health and taste preferences. We Consumers are fueling call this process Indovation. To boost innovation innovation, we listen to our target groups and take insights from committed to make our packaging 100 Innovation is a mindset. stakeholders while trying to an- percent circular by 2025. Food companies today ticipate future trends. Our ap- Food industry is gearing up for are focusing on con- proach to innovation is reflected innovation as food literacy among sumer centric innova- in our vision of One Planet consumers goes up. Their dietary tion and renovation to Gearing One Health. We be- sensibilities have changed, and it will address the gaps that lieve that health of people and reset the innovation in the food industry currently exist in our that of the planet are intercon- in the long run. Here are some trends market. Food inno- nected. Hence everything we that will shape innovation and fuel vators are leveraging do reflects that belief. For ex- consumers’ demand. new technology to de- ample, we launched Protinex in • is a growing sign sustainable and Food fortification popular local flavors and we are trend in India with Government, NGOs

about the author Mr Himanshu Bakshi is Managing Director, Danone India and is responsible for leading India operations. A results-driven business leader, Mr Bakshi comes with more than 20 years of experience in some of the most competitive FMCG, OTC Healthcare and Surface Care categories across multiple geographies and cultures. Under his leadership, Protinex started its trajectory from an OTC brand to a consumer- facing brand with key initiatives launched to forge awareness around the relevance of protein

50 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 One Health

and Industry committing to innovation in the functional beverage space. This in the area and rolling out fortified foods Food companies can personalization is increasing in the B2C over the last two years. For example, innovate to favorably category with gradual extensions into we see daily staples like rice, wheat, impact health behaviors, the mass market. pulses, milk, and breakfast cereals • Sustainability: The green being fortified with minerals and multi- since the consumption of consumer behavior is driven by food vitamins. Consumers are becoming choices that are targeted at conserving more aware about the evolving nutrition packaged food is on the rise the environment and the local landscape and the plethora of purchase biodiversity. This cohort of sustainable choices that are now available. consumers will not purchase and • Rationalization of food choices is boost the immune system and stamina, consume foods that have a perceived another aspect that is driving innovation. avert chronic diseases, and postpone impact on environment. Instead, they Consumers are opting for products the aging process. seek products which have a limited that are low in salt sugar and fat. It is • Naturality: Consumers prefer carbon footprint and benefit the complemented by the growing quest for products which are locally made with environment directly. Seventy percent products that offer health benefits. natural ingredients and whose origins of Indians surveyed last year said • Preventive nutrition is growing as can be traced easily. There is a clearer environment had become a bigger a category with need for functional foods understanding and awareness regarding priority since the pandemic (Source: that endorse health, mental and physical ultra-processed foods. Lightspeed/Mintel). wellbeing, and an active lifestyle. Health • Personalized Nutrition: foods or foods that will help to lead Consumer demand for custom made Call to Action for a healthy food a healthier and more active life have products that are tailored to their system become a main priority for product individual needs is growing especially As we grapple with the need to provide development in the food industry. food to millions, the pressure on the • The pandemic has propelled the food system has never been greater. rise of Immunity boosting foods Innovations can tip consumer behaviors where traditional foods like Tulsi, Ginger, in favor of healthy eating. It may prove cinnamon and Turmeric have become to be a first step toward refining better critical to innovation. Consumers are health outcomes. For innovation to revisiting immunity from a multi-system, occur, all stakeholders must come holistic health lens and are now focusing together to contribute to a healthy on mental and physical wellbeing alike. and sustainable food system. Food Emerging food technologies have companies can innovate to favorably carved another healthy trajectory impact health behaviors, since the for individuals looking for ready to consumption of packaged food is on the cook and ready to eat fortified food rise. Innovation in formulation of new choices with functional ingredients food products which are rich in positive that help to improve nutrition, nutrients and low on negative ones is one step in that direction. For example, at Danone we are committed to improve the nutritional profile of our products. We have introduced zero added sugar variant of our two popular brands Protinex Tasty Chocolate and Vanilla without compromising on the taste of the product, which is an important criteria for regular consumption. The point-of- purchase interventions at restaurants, modern retailers, offices, and schools is another area which can be focused upon for promulgating healthier food choices and bring in positive changes in the food selection behavior.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 51 Biz Study TOP AGRI-BUSINESS MANAGEMENT B-SCHOOLS IN INDIA AGRI-B SCHOOL SURVEY 2021 By CONCEPT AGROTECH CONSULTANTS LIMITED Survey Objective The pandemic has again proven the mettle of India’s Food and Agribusiness Management Sector. The sector is emerging as the backbone of the nation with GDP contribution to the tune of 19 pc, which is higher than the previous years. In order to achieve sustainable growth in the sector, a pool of qualified agribusiness professionals is needed every year to introduce approaches and reach the last mile users. Hence the role of agri-business management institutions, which generate qualified agri-business professionals in India.

Survey Sample Size CACL conducted the survey in Feb-March 2021. The survey team connected with more than 200 industry professionals, The purpose of the survey was industry bodies and more than 1000 students from agriculture and allied understand the gap between streams to understand the performance top and bottom ranking of agribusiness management institutions agribusiness institutions, in India. study the tools and techniques Primary Desk Research used by Agri-B schools for In this research module, industry better performance, categorize professionals and students were the various aspects of approached directly to get feedback regarding agri-business management perception and align them as institutions. The following methods per weightage were used to college primary data: e-questionnaire, expert interviews and

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Rating Name of the Institution Logo

Indian Institute of Management, 1 Ahmedabad

Indian Institute of Management, 2 Lucknow

National Institute of Agricultural 3 Extension Management, Hyderabad

4 Institute of Rural Management, Anand

Xavier Institute of Rural Management, telephonic survey. The institutions were 5 Bhubaneshwar ranked on the basis of Inside Campus Offering and Outside Campus Offering. Inside Campus Offering included Symbiosis Institute of International 6 infrastructure & facilities offered; faculties Business , Pune with corporate backgrounds, industry- orientated curriculum, innovation in National Institute of Agricultural 7 pedagogy, fee structure, admission Marketing , Jaipur selection process, and sports and fitness amenities. The Outside Campus Offering Imperial School of Agri-Business, included global exposure events, student 8 Greater Noida exchange program, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, industry interaction and webinars, relevant placement tie- National Academy of Agricultural 9 ups and scholarship support for needy Research Management, Hyderabad students. The secondary research module National Institute of Food Technology was followed and Perception Survey 10 Entrepreneurship and Management, was also conducted. In the Perception Sonepat Survey, a conscious attempt was made by CACL to understand the attitude towards agribusiness management institutions Indian Institute of Plantation 11 in India. The purpose of the survey was Management, Bengaluru understand the gap between top and bottom ranking agribusiness institutions, College of Agribusiness Management, study the tools and techniques used by 12 Pantnagar agri-b schools for better performance, categorize the various aspects of Institute of Agribusiness Management, perception and align them as per 13 Bikaner weightage.

About CACL School of Business Studies, Punjab 14 Concept Agrotech Consultants Limited Agriculture University (CACL) is a Delhi-based total solutions providing consulting company, catering Department of Agricultural & Rural exclusively to the agribusiness and rural 15 Management, TNAU sector.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 53 Regulatory Support Fortification of Select Foods FSSAI Regulations for Food Processing Industry he Food Safety and Standards that are product specific, which is covered un- about the author Authority of India (FSSAI) is the der FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Nation’s food regulator specifi- Additives) Regulation, 2011 and provides the cally established under the Food limits for various horizontal and vertical param- Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, eters apart from providing for different additives T2006. It is mandated to lay down science based (with limits) that can be used in a specific food standards for articles of food and to regulate product/ingredient. The other set of Regula- - their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale tions i.e. Contaminants Regulations cut across and import - to ensure availability of safe and all the product categories covering parameters wholesome food for human consumption. Be- in terms of contaminants such as heavy met- sides establishment of FSSAI or the Food Au- als, pesticide residues etc. In terms of imple- thority, rules and regulations have also been mentation, these Regulations are aided by FSS framed under the FSS Act 2006. As on date, (Licensing and Registration of Food Business- Dr N Bhaskar is Advisor one rule (i.e., Food Safety and Standards es) Regulation, 2011. Any FBO can apply for (Science & Standards) Rules, 2011) and 21 principal regulations (of license/registration through Food Safety Com- at the FSSAI, New Delhi which one will be superseded, taking the total pliance System (FoSCoS). and has an outstanding principal regulations to 20) have been framed Overall, FSSAI has enacted various regu- contribution to food under the Act. The Food Safety and Standards lations that prescribe quality and safety stan- science and technology Rules 2011 basically outlines the structure for dards for food processing industry for ensur- the enforcement of its rules and regulations, ing safe and wholesome food products for the and procedure and processes for adjudication consumers. A brief overview of each of these and appeals, and also the related forms in the regulations is as under – prescribed format. 1. FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food FSSAI primarily focuses on establishing standards and limits of parameters based on two major aspects of foods/ingredients i.e., safety (horizontal parameters) and identity (vertical parameters related to quality). Every food or ingredient has to comply with these parameters. To achieve this, FSSAI enacts Regulations

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Businesses) Regulation, 2011 specifies the procedure and conditions of registration and licensing of food businesses. Further, general hygienic and sanitary practices to be followed by petty food business operators (FBOs) for registration and food business operators apply- ing for license are also covered in detail. Under these regulations no person shall commence any food business unless he possesses a valid license from either state or central Licensing Authority. A petty FBO has to register with the Regis- tering Authority. License for commencing or carrying on food business, which falls under Schedule 1, shall be granted by the Central Licensing Authority. 2. FSS (Food Products Standards FSSAI constantly works toward which are banned as per the Insecticide and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011 Act, 1968. Further tolerance limits for 103 specifies the product quality standards for building consumer confidence by antibiotics and veterinary drugs on vari- different food categories like milk, cereals, assuring safe and nutritious foods ous food commodities have been notified. fruits, meat and poultry, spices and culi- through its various regulations and This regulation also includes a prohibited nary herbs, water and beverages, food list of antibiotics and veterinary drugs. additives etc. Limits of additives permit- standards 6. FSS (Laboratory and sampling ted under different food products as well analysis) Regulation, 2011 specifies the as microbiological parameters (both hy- have been notified. procedure of sampling including sample giene and safety indicator organisms) are 5. FSS (Contaminants, Toxins size, number of samples (type and quan- also part of these Regulations. Recently, and Residues) Regulation, 2011 broadly tity) etc. to be sent to the Food Analyst/Di- under these regulations processing aids covers the maximum limits (MLs) of all rector of the Referral Food Laboratory for and their residue levels were also speci- the contaminants such as heavy met- analysis. A provision for approval of rapid fied which serve to fulfil a certain techno- als, mycotoxins, naturally occurring toxic analytical food testing kit, equipment or logical purpose during treatment or pro- substances etc. The maximum residue method has also been included. cessing. limits (MRLs)/tolerance limits of insecti- 7. Food Safety and Standards 3. FSS (Prohibition and Restric- cides or pesticides residues, veterinary (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, tion of Sales) Regulation, 2011 deals with drugs residues and antibiotics on various Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for the prohibitions and restrictions on sales food commodities are also specified. Cur- Special Medical Purpose, Functional of various food products, ingredients and rently MRLs of more than 213 pesticides Food, and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016 their admixtures. have been notified and many more are are one of its kind regulations across the 4. FSS (Packaging and Labelling) at the stage of draft notification. Further, globe. These regulations provide for the Regulation, 2011 specifies the labelling FSSAI has also notified 20 insecticides manufacture and sale of the various cat- provisions for pre-packaged foods. To egories of foods mentioned in the title of make the national labelling regulations the regulations. Apart from the general more robust and effective, FSSAI un- conditions for manufacture and sale of dertook comprehensive revision of FSS these foods and requirements related to (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, claims, they also provide various Sched- 2011 with the objective of having three ules dealing with the permitted ingredi- different regulations dealing separately ents (viz. vitamins, minerals, amino acids, to packaging, labelling and advertise- plants/botanicals, nutraceuticals, probiot- ment & claims requirements. Accordingly, ics, prebiotics) and additives. FSS (Packaging) Regulations, FSS (Ad- Dr Bhaskar is fond of cooking, 8. FSS (Food Recall Procedure) trekking and listening to Carnatic vertising and Claims) Regulations and Regulation, 2017 specifies the recall music. He is a licensed scuba diver! FSS(Labelling & Display)Regulations provisions and requirements. It includes

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 55 Regulatory Support

detailed food recall procedures covering the responsibilities of Food business op- New Initiative erators, Commissioner of Food Safety of In order to help Food Business Operators and other stakeholders, FSSAI is the State or Union territory and the Food developing information repository of food standards where all compliable Authority. provision of particular food products will be present in the form of monographs 9. FSS (Import) Regulation, 2017 referred to as Food-‘o’-copoeia. It will facilitate stakeholders with all the specifies provisions and procedures deal- information at one place and avoid issues which they face while sourcing ing with import of foods, food products or information of a product from multiple Regulations. It will provide stakeholders ingredients. with requirements relevant for compliance to food safety regulations. FSSAI 10. FSS (Approval for Non-Specific is also working on drafting guidelines/standards for cultured meat, cell based Food and Food Ingredients) Regulation, animal meat and vegan foods. The Authority is in process of consultation with 2017 specifies the process of approval of various stakeholders, academician and scientific bodies to bring in the policy non-specified food and food ingredients, paper and aspects related to these areas. new additives and processing aids, including novel food. It also provides details on the kind of information to be submitted Liquor or Alcoholic cordial), Wines and, fortification of some processed foods and for such approval. Beer. It also specifies the specific require- bakery ware with micronutrients and vita- 11. FSS (Organic Food) Regula- ment for labelling of Alcoholic Beverages mins. The provisions under these regulation, 2017 specifies the standards and in addition to the labelling requirements of tions are voluntary in nature except for requirements for any food to be called Food Safety and Standards (Packaging iodised salt. ‘Organic Food’. Also highlighting the re- and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. 14. FSS (Food Safety Auditing) quirements of organic food labelling, cer- 13. FSS (Fortification of Food) Reg- Regulation, 2018 provides procedures tification including imports and reciprocity. ulation, 2018 specifies provision for forti- and provisions for third party auditing of 12. FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) fication of select food commodities and/ FBOs for compliance to food safety man- Regulation, 2018 specifies standards or staples with various micronutrients and agement systems and other regulations for alcoholic beverages namely Distilled vitamins at specified levels along with use laid under the FSS Act. Alcoholic Beverage (Brandy, Country of +F logo (except in case of Iodised salt). 15. FSS (Recognition and Notifi- Liquor, Gin, Rum, Vodka and Whisky, Besides, the regulation also provides for cation of Laboratories) Regulation, 2018

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describes provisions for recognition and notification of laboratories by FSSAI. 16. FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulation, 2018 specifies general principles for claims & advertisements. Apart from defining criteria to be met in case of different types of claims, it also specifies procedure for approval of disease risk re- ductions claims 17. FSS (Packaging) Regulation, 2018 species both general and specific requirements for packaging materials. In particular, overall migration limits and specific migration limits for certain contaminants in plastic packaging materials have been prescribed. It also specifies that food packaging materials must now comply with Indian Standards (IS) listed under various schedules. 18. FSS (Recovery and Distribution of Surplus Food) Regulation, 2019 specifies provisions for recovery and distribution of surplus food in India by providing a food for school children, FSSAI has no- average calorie intake of 600 kcal from legitimate backup to the food donation. It tified these Regulations. At the heart of processed foods. The enforcement of for- aims to encourage individuals and orga- these regulations is a fundamental idea to tified processed foods standards is from nizations to donate food for those in need make it clear what is healthy for children 01 July 2021. and to reduce food wastage, and what is not. FBOs are allowed to use of +F logo 19. FSS (Labelling and Display) The complete details of regulations/ for staples and processed foods that are Regulations, 2020 specifies labelling re- standards notified by FSSAI can be ac- covered under the FSS (Fortification of quirements of pre-packaged foods and cessed through the link https://www.fssai. Foods) Regulations, 2018. They can ob- display of essential information on prem- gov.in/cms/food-safety-and-standards- tain the endorsement to use the +F logo ises where food is manufactured, pro- regulations.php. for their product by uploading the test cessed, served and stored. It is important report from FSSAI notified laboratory to note that this regulation along with FSS Standards for fortification of showing level of fortificants present in (Packaing) Regulations 2018 supersede processed foods the fortified food articles. The Registering the FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regu- The standards on fortification are in- Authority after verification of the applica- lations, 2011. tended to prevent micronutrient deficien- tion submitted by the FBO endorses the 20. FSS (Foods for Infant Nutrition) cies among Indian population, majorly license to use the logo. For further details Regulations, 2020 relates to infant foods through mandatory supply of fortified on categories in which license/registration applicable up to the age of 24 months. staples in government-run programs will be granted, the following link can be The regulations cover standards like in- and also through voluntary fortification accessed - https://fssai.gov.in/upload/ad fant formula, follow up formula, milk and in open markets. Besides, fortification of visories/2021/04/6075664fc329dLetter_ cereal based complementary foods, in- staples, the regulation now permits vol- Fortified_Food_FoSCoS_13_04_2021. fant foods based on traditional ingredients untary fortification of select processed pdf. as well as food for special medical pur- foods, bakery wares and fruit juices. The Being the nation’s food regulator, pose intended for infants. It elaborates on regulations specify levels of micronutrient FSSAI constantly works toward building composite/identify standards, specific la- and vitamins (as a range of minimum and consumer confidence by assuring safe belling requirements, source of nutrients maximum) with a principle that fortified and nutritious foods through its various permitted etc. Processed Food shall provide 15-30% of regulations and standards that eventually 21. FSS (Safe food and balanced the Indian adult recommended dietary al- inspire trust in the foods they consume. diets for children in school) Regulations, lowance (RDA) as specified by ICMR for Disclaimer: The views expressed are the 2020 aims to ensure safe and wholesome micronutrient and vitamins, based on an personal views of the author

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Food Processing The Vital Link Between Agriculture

With more than 50 pc & Industry of India’s population in agriculture and allied he food processing industry is ageing can produce bioactive peptides that the vital link between agriculture have one or more activities like antioxidant, sectors, contributing and industry. From the nutrition- antimicrobial, antihypertensive, immune- 15.4 pc of GDP and al point of view, processed foods modulatory, hypercholesterolemic, prebiotic and ultra-processed foods have or opioid activities. employing around alteredT nutritional profile compared to the  11.36 pc industrial raw material. The effect on nutritional com- workforce in 2020, position would depend on the temperature, light exposure, humidity, pH, addition of food the food processing additives, time of processing, presence of sector is extremely oxygen, suitable packaging and conditions significant for India’s during shelf-life. economic development Beneficial Effects on Nutritional Quality n Proteins undergo denaturation (changes in structure leading to aggregation or unfold- ing or hydrolysis) that make them more digestible and readily absorbable. n Carbohydrates – starch, the abun- dant carbohydrate in plants, gets gelatinized during heating or cooking and this makes its more digestible. n Reduction or inactivation of antinu- trients that make the food more digestible and increase bioavailability of minerals like iron, calcium, zinc and phosphorus. n Proteolysis of proteins, either by enzymatic, acidic, alkali, fermentation or

about the author

Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh is Director, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore

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Undesirable Changes During Food and craving for it. The overconsumption Processing of such foods can lead to obesity and re- n Some nutrients are more labile to pro- lated pathologies. cessing compared to others. In general, n Ultraprocessed foods made water soluble vitamins, B-complex and C from refined flours, high fat, salt, sugar are the most labile. Folic acid, thiamine and food additives are often poor in natu- and vitamin C are most unstable, while, Dr Annapurna has a passion for ral fibers, enzymes, micronutrients. They vitamin D, niacin, vitamin K, biotin and travelling to different cultures, do not support the growth of beneficial pantothenic acid are stable to most pro- bird watching and researching gut microflora and cause gastrointestinal cessing conditions. into Indian food traditions and problems and compromised immunity. n At high temperatures, protein cultural practices. She is trying to Moisture, temperature, pH and oxy- (lysine residues) react with reducing scientifically validate traditional gen are the factors that affect the chemi- food practices and nutraceuticals sugars to form schiff’s bases that un- cal reactions, microbial contamination, dergo amadori rearrangement and the sensory attributes and ultimately, the products polymerize to form melanoidins fication and so on to retain the natural shelf-life of foods. Controlling these through non-enzymatic browning (Mail- quality of food. Many of these additvies factors help in preserve freshness and lard reaction eg. Baked goods). are known to have a deleterious effect nutritional quality of the food product, n Cutting or mincing or pulveriz- on the health of the consumer. Addition even at ambient temperatures. Optimal ing leads to disruption of cell walls that of phosphates that enhance texture, packaging helps to preserve food qual- allow the enzymes like polyphenolase, taste and shelf-life ¬cause weak bones, ity through preventing water vapour or peroxidase, lipoxygenase to come in kidney damage and ageing. oxygen transfer. Fresh fruits and veg- contact with their substrates to form un- n High amounts of refined flours, etables are coated with waxes or dipped desirable products which affect the nu- saturated fat, salt and sugar are gener- in specific solutions to reduce respiration tritional quality of fats (rancidity, eg. Soy- ally used in processed foods to improve and transpiration and increase shelf-life. bean oil) or cause undesirable colour shelf-stability, palatability and these are All packaged foods in every countries, (enzymatic browning eg. Apple juice). known to promote inflammation leading including India, declare nutritional infor- n Frying, roasting or baking of to life oxidative stress and lifestyle relat- mation on the product labels. Nutritional foods at very high temperatures causes ed diseases. labelling enable consumers to make information of acrylamide through reaction n Ultraprocessed foods over- formed choices during purchase. Pack- of aspargine with sugars like in potato stimulate the production of the neu- aging too is of great importance in pre- fries. rotransmitter dopamine that leads to the vention of product deterioration during n Proteins treated at alkaline pH consumer getting addicted to the food its shelf life. may cause reaction of lysine with dehy- droalanine to form lysinoalanine, which is toxic (eg. Protein isolation at pH greater than 9.5). n During smoking of meat, formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocar- bons are of concern (eg. Ham, bacon). Similarly, generation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in grilling/ heating conditions can be hazardous to health. n Fats, especially unsaturated fats, get oxidized during heating. They also help solubilize fat soluble vitamins and aid their absorption. Oxidation reactions of lipids and proteins are required for flavour and texture but can be of concern for food safety (eg. Reheated frying oils with high PUFA contents). n Several food additives are used for preservation, colour, flavour, emulsi-

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 59 AT ANALYSIS

Innovations in Food Processing Execution time for India Inc aving significantly grown its agricultural, dairy, meat and horticultural produce, India as a food surplus nation offers raw material for Hglobal food processing giants. The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. It contributes around 8.80 and 8.39 per the opportunity of a well-developed food sure the sustainability of the food sector. cent of Gross Value Added (GVA) in processing industry. This creates the Indian consumers are now more knowl- Manufacturing and Agriculture respec- front end for the agricultural produce edgeable on food than ever! A strong so- tively, 13 per cent of India’s exports and and stimulates the backend activities of cial media presence and favourable ac- six per cent of total industrial investment. value added farming, increase farm gate cess to all other digital mediums, coupled The Indian gourmet food market is cur- prices, reduce wastage, promote crop with technical and economic changes, rently valued at US$ 1.3 billion and is diversification and increase export earn- the millennial, consumption trends and growing at a CAGR of 20 per cent. India’s ings. This shall do a world of good for the the food processing demands have gone organic food market is expected to in- rural economy. through multiple changes. These facts crease by three times by 2020. have affected significantly the entire food Of late, several measures as taken by Current Food Processing Activity supply chain, driving companies to pay the Government and the new farm laws Innovations emerge not just as an oppor- high attention in food products that meet have created a new hope and boosted tunity but also as a pre‐condition to as- the consumers’ demand for a transparent

about the author

Mr Saikat Sarkar is CEO, Fresh Greens Pvt. Ltd, Essar Group. He is a food and beverage specialist with 23 years of functional experience as a Retailer, Hotelier and Entrepreneur. Mr Sarkar has driven new product development, packaging, channel activation, developing new age retail innovations and retail sales

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and healthy lifestyle. As a consequence, there is an extensive dialogue about the need of food industries to upgrade quality and introduce innovation in the market in order to survive competition. With increasing disposable income, consumer spend allocation tends to show a steep increase towards the different types of foods that consumers are wanting/will- ing to try. This need to try new tastes, flavours and palate is one of the reasons why the food industry has evolved so much over the last decade. While the industry is grappling with distribution challenges, shelf life will remain a key focus, post the pandemic hit supply chain and playing a pivotal role in accomplishing overall economic environment. transformation, and trying and testing innovative technologies and business mod- Technological innovations els. The innovations in this segment have In today’s times, food safety and innova- Today’s consumers are been the result of improving technology tion have become a pre-requisite aspect looking for customizable in three segments: ordering food, food to improve process, keep products and foods, beverages and dietary preparation and finally delivery. To seize services relevant to our customers and the opportunity for the food industry, it is stay ahead of competition. By embracing solutions that will help them important to understand the dynamics technology, new science and innovation, more aggressively meet their around the start-up ecosystem. The chal- and ultimately develop holistic plant- own unique nutrition and lenges in the space are many, but it is the based ingredient solutions that nurture passion and ability of the young start-ups nutrition, support greater food sustain- personal health goals who are working towards accomplishing ability, our food processing industry in their goals with resilience even during coming in line and in requirement with this difficult time. the futuristic food trends. healthy ingredients consumers are look- Growth & Profitability Category Innovation, Quality & ing for and are ready to pay a premium. India processes only 10 percent of what Sustainability When we are talking about innova- it produces and smaller countries like Today’s consumers are looking for cus- tion in food processing industry, we are Malaysia and Indonesia process almost tomizable foods, beverages and dietary hinting at combining technical innovation 70-80 percent of what they produce. With solutions that will help them more ag- with social and cultural innovation. It oc- the new found demand of processed food gressively meet their own unique nutri- curs throughout the food system, from during the pandemic, the intervention in tion and personal health goals. General harvesting to production, primary and category innovation, technology and the health and wellness products and pro- secondary processing, manufacturing, value added food processing is sure to grams no longer fit all. cold chain and pack houses till distribu- put a lid on the rampant food wastage. It Functional foods are becoming more tion. shall also enthuse the farmers for value influential in foodservice. High-protein, added farming. Providing value can be in vegetable-rich foods and super foods are Food Start-Ups the form of marketing unique products, the most attractive to diners; heart health, In India we have made a strong name for filling a market niche, simplifying the sup- energy, weight management, and gut ourselves in the global start-up commu- ply chain, lowering costs and in many health are becoming influential issues in nity and ranking among the top five coun- other ways, as already explained. The cities. Increasingly, such consumers are tries in the world in terms of number of more value is provided this way, the more opting in to buying foods and beverages start-ups founded. It is estimated that the return can be extracted from the mar- that have specific healthy ingredients. Fi- job creation from these entrepreneurs is ketplace and passed on to the farmers, bre, followed by protein, vitamin D, calci- likely to reach 2 million during the current towards a targeted doubling of their in- um, nuts/seeds, and whole grains are the year. The Indian food start-ups are now come. It’s execution time for the India Inc.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 61 Eye On Future Agro-Processing and Marketing Yard Rural Employment and Income Augmentation ndian agriculture is booming. Its food production is all time states and should be stored at the grain yard. Each district, high despite adverse climate conditions, flooding, drought blocks and panchayat should have warehouses/godowns for and current continuing pandemic. The recent third estimate their produces. At panchayat level, we can call it the food bank. indicates that total food, oilseeds, and sugarcane produc- Farmers can go and deposit their produce in that food bank. tions for 2020-21 is more than 305.44, 36.57, 292.8 million Instead of their deposits, they can get any other produce of Itonnes respectively, which are all time high in Indian history. equivalent values for their consumption, if needed. Surpluses ICAR led National Agricultural Research System, farmers’ items should be used for processing, value addition, labelling intense endeavour and government policies have contributed and marketing locally, in national markets through e-NAM/online immensely in keeping this increasing trend of our production marketing systems to be established in processing yard or we system. Despite this, majority of our farmers are not happy be- can call it as Village Economic Zone (VEZ). cause of their income is not increasing in the same proportion. I think each farmer family must have some additional as- Village Economic Zone sured monthly income like a salary through employment of their Each VEZ may comprises of at least two centres of each such wards at local level. Their income can increase if they do not sell their produce just after production. Instead, they must process pack, label/brand their produce and market it globally. This may not be possible for individual farmers, particularly for small and marginal farmers. This is possible if an Agro- processing and Marketing Yard (APMY) is established in each village either in PP mode or by the government or some other agencies with partnership of farmers, may be in cooperative mode. For this purpose, first we should have de-centralized storage and controlled raw material movement system. This can respectively be at village-level APMY, panchayat level storage/godown, block-level food bank, district level warehouses, and finally state level grain yard. The surplus produce must be procured by the respective

about the author

Mr Shyam Narayan Jha is ADG (Process Engineering) at ICAR, New Delhi. He is pioneering research on non-destructive evaluation of food quality and makhana processing in India. He is the author of numerous international books and papers, fellow of various academies and professional societies. Dr Jha is an ICAR Rafi Ahmed Kidwai awardee

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Improved Evaporatively Cooled Store light weight, corrosion and UV resistant. for fruits and vegetables The structure is equipped with sensor based automatic forced ventilation system with ensured uniform distribution and controlled storage micro environment to control sprouting and rotting. Losses and manpower requirement for handling in six month storage are about 53 and 65 percent lesser than that of the conventional type of onion storage. It can be made of Fig. 2 any capacity. Fig. 1 Numerous works are going on for online quick and non-destructive evaluation as food grain, oilseeds & pulses process- of multiple parameters of quality of food ing; fruits & vegetables processing; milk & grains and fruits and vegetables. Using milk products processing; sugarcane/jag- the developed formulae we can calculate gery processing and value addition; feed, maturity/ripening index of mango, which fodder and fibre processing; by-products hitherto is decided based on experience. processing and value addition/power/en- This can be predicted non-destructively ergy generation; local artisan/arts & craft employing well proven machine visions centre and at least one IT hub. Each VEZ system and NIR spectroscopy methods can employ directly at least 200 youth of Dr Jha’s energy-booster is for which our country has expertise and the village and indirectly many more. So, ideating on innovations for the capabilities. Online quality (multiple pa- if at least one person from each needy post-harvest sector and their rameters at one go) predictions system household is employed and get assured implementation. He also enjoys will enable quality based pricing from VCY. salary from this VEZ, economic conditions creative writing in his leisure For example maturity/ripening, total solu- of villages may improve drastically and re- hours ble solids of mango either in field (Fig 3) or main sustainable. in market place, which may be linked with For implementing the above concepts, mechanical cooling system, temperature Internet for National and Global marketing. we need modern storage systems, on- may even be reduced further. It is most In the said technology one measure the line quality determination of raw and pro- suitable for small period storage at farm colour values in terms of “a” and “b” and cessed products and quality based pricing and in rural India. Potato, kinnow, tomato can even read the maturity/ripening level systems. We have majority of these tech- can be stored for more than 55- 65, 22-25 using a graph shown in Fig 3. A similar and nologies and these can be multiplied in and 5-7 days respectively at farm at about better system using NIR spectrometry has suitable way. 45 percent lesser hiring charge than that of the cold store, which is hardly available also been patented. Similarly development of robotics coupled with IoT for automatic Important innovations in peak summer. mechanized activities on and off the farm Some important innovations are sensor Similarly newly developed onion stor- activities will attract youth in agriculture as and Internet of things (IoT) controlled age system (Fig 2) is foldable, modular, their profession. Otherwise they are disin- grain siloes, Evaporatively Cooled Storage terested in agriculture. Structure (ECS) for fruits and vegetables If we go on producing more and more, for hot and dry seasons. An ECS is shown one question comes to mind. Do we pro- in Figure 1. These can run with or with- duce more to lose more? We must focus out electricity. Solar energy may also be at least for a few years on implementing used to enhance efficiencies. Temperature the concepts suggested above and devot- and humidity within this structure can be ing more funds for R & D in India’s post- maintained at 25 - 30oC without using any harvest sector. electricity, when outside temperature is 46-48oC and relative humidity only about Disclaimer: The article is totally based 10 percent. on my personal views and ideas. ICAR is If the same structure is equipped with not liable to be responsible for any state- solar energy system for running a small Fig. 3 ment in it

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 63 The New Tech

Doubling Farmers’ Income Innovations in Agro Processing gro-processing industries feed, fuel, and other industrial products. are mainly involved in secondary and in rural areas are They can lead to immense changes in tertiary processing. getting the increased the rural economy. The food processing sector has focus of planners, These agro-processing enterprises, been receiving tremendous attention financial institutions,preferably of small scale or cottage in the country in light of low level of ruralA development agencies and R&D sector, do not need huge capital processing in India. The Ministry of institutions. Such industries cover value- requirement. The government is also Food Processing Industries has been addition activities of agriculture produce encouraging primary processing in allocated Rs. 1,308.66 crore (US$ through primary and secondary production catchment. The output of 180.26 million) in the Union Budget processing and utilization of agricultural these primary processing enterprises 2021-22. The percentage of agricultural wastes/residues/by-products for food, could feed big processing facilities that produce being processed in the

64 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 The New Tech

country is far lower than that of developed about the authors countries like China (23 pc) and USA (65 pc). Preference of Indian population towards consumption of fresh and home-cooked food over processed and packaged food may have some bearing on demand for processed food in India. The government is aiming to triple the capacity of the food processing sector and in Dr Nachiket’s favourite stress the process, double the farmers’ income. buster is watching sports-related videos, live or recorded Importance of Primary Processing Although primary processing of agricultural Machines for primary processing Dr Nachiket commodities adds little value as compared Machines for primary processing with higher to secondary and tertiary processing of the Kotwaliwale is Director capacities, reduced drudgery and gender ICAR-Central Institute same commodities, it plays an important neutrality are now available at affordable of Post-Harvest role in improving the uniformity and shelf prices for small entrepreneurs like farmers. Engineering and life of the produce. For instance, cleaned, These machines are made of food-grade Technology (CIPHET), graded, and packed food grains, precooled materials. Better control and appropriate Ludhiana fruits and vegetables can be stored for a automation are some of their innovative longer duration and can directly be used for features. Tractor-operated multi-commodity further processing without compromising on processing and mobile units are also now food safety and quality. The ability of farmers available for farm-level processing and also to carry out primary processing operations as a custom-hiring business opportunity. at production sites has been enhanced There are novel processes for processing through design and development of custom- of different commodities and cultivars on made, small-size, cost-effective agricultural the same set of machines. There are more processing machinery. This equipment is energy-efficient, environment friendly, being promoted by many programmes of standardized well documented protocols to central and state governments. harness best product recovery and reduce Dr Sandeep Mann is Principal Scientist The innovations in agro processing losses of all forms. Novel processes like CIPHET suitable for doubling farmers’ income could fermentation, hydro-thermal treatment, be grouped into efficient machineries, novel extraction methods, thermal and non-thermal processes, inventive products, modern tools methods, controlled fumigation, etc. have to ensure quality and safety, and professional been successfully demonstrated at scales post-harvest management. appropriate to farm level processing.

Inventive Products Numerous inventive products have been developed which are high in functionality, designed for specific consumers, retaining appropriately balanced nutrition and use of Dr Sandeep Dawange is locally available inputs and specialty cultivars. Scientist, CIPHET We now have traditional products with better

Simple, affordable, and reliable protocols, gadgets, kits and field-worthy sensors are now available to the farmers to test quality and safety of their product on the farm as well as during processing for a variety of products

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 65 The New Tech

sensory traits, ready to eat and ready to cook convenient foods made from appropriate combinations of grains, pulses, millets, oilseeds, preserved fruits and vegetables, animal origin products, etc. Different regions of India have some specific crops or cultivars having unique saleable property or nutritional advantage, e.g. black rice, mushrooms, millets, makhana, soybeans, etc.. Food products have been developed through their appropriate fortification into the food matrix, giving due consideration to their synergistic and antagonistic effects. Maintaining quality and safety of the product has been always been a challenge for small enterprises, especially at the rural level. Simple, affordable, and reliable protocols, gadgets, kits and field-worthy sensors are now available to the farmers to test provisions. quality and safety of their product on the The Indian Council of Agricultural farm as well as during processing for Research with flagship institutes like a variety of products like milk, spices, CIPHET, CIAE, along with its commodity cereals, fruits & vegetables, etc. The institutes and network of State devices are not only useful to maintain Agricultural Universities are providing the quality of product during production, technological and knowledge support for handling, and trade but also help the agro-processing enterprises. Institutes farmers/ producers to maintain domestic under MOFPI namely, NIFTEM, IIFPT; and international standards and thereby and CSIR institutes like CFTRI are also realise a better remuneration for their providing support to food processing product if quality and safety could be enterprises. maintained. Agro processing at production Technology adoption at farmers’ catchment by the farmer-entrepreneurs level is increasing due to access to Tools and protocols are now is a technically feasible and commercially technologically advanced and adaptable viable proposition. Plethora of solutions for on-farm processing. Multi- available for geo-tagging technological solutions and institutional commodity, multi-machinery agro of the produce and ensure support are available to realise the processing centers are being promoted traceability so as to capture goal of doubling farmers’ income. as stand-alone enterprise as well Government is extending support in the as custom hiring businesses. Such export markets and fetch form of investments for mega food parks enterprises have a good potential to better prices for fresh and in the country, 100 pc FDI in marketing provide attractive dividends to farmers processed products of food products, launching programmes while increasing the availability of such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada value-added agricultural produce in the Yojana, Agri Infrastructure Fund, Sub market. Besides, there is good scope for Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation, specialised product processing centers One District One Product, etc. Skill for commodities like millets, jaggery, budding entrepreneurs. There is also a development facilities and business honey, soybean, oilseeds, etc. All good possibility for rural entrepreneurs incubation centers are ably supporting these models could be very effectively in the areas of operation of pack-houses, these techno-preneural activities and implemented by engaging FPOs or cold chain management, supply chain also helping create huge employment giving financial and technical support to operations, and processing service potential in the rural sector.

66 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 67 Modern Role of Packaging Material Ensuring Longevity and Marketability of Agro Produce

extension. The active compounds control all the endogenous factors. It delays hange in the life style and oxidation, controls the rate of respiration, consumer’s inclination microbial growth and moisture content. towards health-promoting The active compounds either release fresh and processed or absorb substances into or from the foods is growing fast. With packaged food or the environment Cthe increasing demand, agro-based food surrounding the food. industries have stepped up the game for manufacturing different varieties Intelligent/Smart Packaging of food and food products. Foods are According to Food and Agricultural rich in proteins, carbohydrate, fats, Organization, UN, approximately 1.3 vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. billion tonnes of food is wasted every year This makes them highly heat sensitive which accounts for one-third of total food and susceptible to spoilage. With their produced globally. This includes 45 pc nutritional composition and sensory wastage of freshly harvested horticultural attributes, all foods – fresh, cut or produce such as fruits and vegetables. minimally processed – offer great value. The wastage happens at post-harvest There is now a vast range of foods that are recognized as novel foods with innovative concepts. They meet the demands of our modern lifestyle because they provide convenient, fresh, safe, nutritious and functional food options.

Modern Trends in Packaging Active Packaging Active packaging involves incorporation of additives called as active components into the packaging material or else into the packaging container, which comes in

direct contact with the product and leads

to quality maintenance and shelf life

ole of Packaging Material Packaging of ole R about the author Modern Dr Tanweer Alam is Director, Indian Institute of Packaging, Mumbai, under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GOI. Dr Alam is Managing Editor of the Journal of Packaging Technology and Research. He is the Member of diverse committees of BIS & FSSAI focusing on packaging regulations

68 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Cutting Edge

stage, during processing, distribution also related to the physical and chemical and even consumption stages. There modification of polymeric surfaces. are enough techniques that are being Cold plasma technology provides the followed during food processing and polymeric packaging materials with packaging to detect, reduce or eliminate greater flexibility, transparency, adequate contaminants and hazards. But there is chemical inertness. Most importantly, a lack of technology to monitor losses it costs less. Surface treatments of during distribution. Intelligent packaging packaging can serve various purposes can attempt to overcome this issue by Mr Alam is passionate about including surface functionalization, monitoring the interaction of beverage Yoga and Meditation. surface cleaning or etching, and surface or its environment within the described deposition (Pankaj et al., 2014). six functions of Intelligent Packaging viz, monitoring, detecting, sensing, can definitely be adopted and scaled Food Packaging and recording, tracking and communication. at a better level for use in beverage Sustainability The brewing sector has shown packaging applications. Cost inefficiency, In the very dynamic worldwide food the most pioneering spirit in adopting stringent procedures for regulatory packaging sector, marketed innovations intelligent packaging technology that approval and package designing are essentially focus on practical and easy- delivers extra cold beer in an innovative some of the major challenges that halt to-use aspects as well as conviviality and way. This technique allows the content the widespread adoption of intelligent aesthetics for consumer attractiveness. of the bottle to be chilled to a drinkable packaging systems in India. Some of the marketed innovations temperature of zero degree Celsius in claim to be sustainable either by their consumers’ freezers. It is packed in ultra- Cold Plasma Applications in Food resources (bio-based) or their end of resistant PET, which allows the beer packaging life (bio-degradable). There is a real inside to remain liquid even at sub-zero Cold plasma technology has generally need to develop convincing sustainable freezer temperatures. Thus, the active been associated with modifying the bio- packaging materials decoupled from and intelligent packaging technologies responsive properties of foods. These are fossil feedstocks, with no competition with food resources and with a real advantage to solve the issue of the accumulation of persistent plastics in our Intelligent packaging is environment. This could be achieved by defined as a system which can enhancing the conversion of agricultural and agro-food residues into naturally make decisions to increase the bio-degradable packaging with a fair and shelf life, notify information, transparent eco-efficient performance improve quality and report assessment. The global agro based food industry spoilage of a product by has one of the most rapidly growing utilizing intelligent techniques food processing markets in the world. Consumers are looking for wholesome healthy products with high quality and an appreciable shelf life. Food Time-Temperature indicators manufacturers are resorting to innovative These indicators are basically tags or labels that display the visual summary packaging tools for achieving the same. of time-temperature history of package. Any physical, chemical, enzymatic Marketing of these products, keeping in or any microbial change in the product is expressed by an irreversible color view food safety and quality control will change. Hence any sort of deformity is also visible. Consumers, producers be possible only after adopting proper and retailers can check at a glance if product was in good condition during packaging systems. Food safety and storage and transportation. A recent intervention is a milk or juice pack which quality control are the prime factors for uses three-dimensional (3D) additive techniques to make a smart cap. This food technologists. Nothing would be has an embedded inductor/capacitor tank as the wireless passive sensor, better than utilizing and implementing which monitors the quality of the liquid food wirelessly. intelligent/smart packaging systems for functional beverage packaging.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 69 AU-Industry Convergence

Agricultural Higher Education Learnings from National Agricultural Higher Education Project ith the contribution global benchmarks, uncertainties and economy, quality assurance as well as of 16.5% to India’s risks involved in traditional farming, relevance of agricultural higher education GDP, agriculture dismal primary and secondary processing has become very crucial. Indian Council plays a crucial role in infrastructure, a convoluted supply chain of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been the economy, largely with multiple levels and intermediaries etc. playing a leadership role while building Wbecause of the employment opportunities are some of the challenges faced by the and nurturing future ready agri graduates the sector provides and the food security it agriculture sector. and skilled human resources for tomorrow, guarantees to 1.3 billion Indians. On the one Agribusiness industry players equipped with research as well as hand, the sector is being driven by factors including agri startups have been playing entrepreneurial acumen. The Education such as a growing population, increased an important role while consistently Division of ICAR has been entrusted with demand for agriculture and food products addressing the evolving needs of sector strengthening and ensuring quality and and an enhanced focus on doubling and addressing most of these challenges relevance of higher agricultural education farmers’ income. On the other hand, the existing across agri and allied value chain. in India through implementation of overall ecosystem is being constrained program ‘Strengthening and Development by certain systemic challenges. These are Need for AU- Industry of Higher Agricultural Education in leading to reduced resource use efficiency Collaborations and Convergence India’ and ‘National Agricultural Higher and farm incomes. Small and fragmented in Agricultural Higher Education Education Project (NAHEP)’. Herein, the landholdings, lower yield compared to With India’s emergence as a major world relevance part is majorly being driven through industry collaborations and engagements. Post Covid, it has become about the author more pertinent to further deepen the ICAR-AU-industry linkages for better Dr Hema Tripathi is National Coordinator, ICAR-National employment opportunities for students, Agricultural Higher Education Project(Agricultural enhanced entrepreneurship capabilities, education Division) ICAR improved technology transfer and knowledge exchanges to meet current market needs etc.

Dr Rakesh Chandra Agarwal is National Director AU – Industry convergence areas: (NAHEP) and Deputy Director General (Agricultural Learnings from NAHEP education Division) ICAR NAHEP is a Multi-Global Practice Collaboration (Agriculture and Education)

70 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 AU-Industry Convergence

project of ICAR and WB. Knowledge exchange programs are being conducted by AUs to collaborate with private players / business entities and orient the AU students as well as faculties on current market needs and cutting-edge areas of science and technologies, industry- oriented capacity building initiatives, collaborative research etc. Private players get benefitted through advanced research output relevant to industry, market ready students for internships and placements etc. The key project outcomes that can be envisaged through these knowledge exchange programs are increased student placement rates, increased on time graduation rates, improved research effectiveness of faculty etc. • MPKV Rahuri has collaborated 3. Tech Parks and University with Lupin, Pune for collaborative work Incubators: Collaboration where HEIs on development of climate smart villages make use of advanced labs and with IoT. Post Covid, it has become equipment situated at tech parks or • MPKV Rahuri has entered more pertinent to further incubation centers developed by industry into MoU with Sahyadri Farms, Nashik deepen the ICAR-AU-industry partners and Netafim Irrigation, Pune for 4. Intellectual Property trainings to students and farmers based linkages for better employment commercialization: Transfer of intellectual on processing of agro products and opportunities for students, property such as patents which are collaborative research work in water enhanced entrepreneurship developed at university to industry management respectively. participants (for example, sub-licensing) • CIFE Mumbai has partnered capabilities, improved In order to further strengthen ICAR- with West-Coast Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd, technology transfer and AU-Industry linkages and deepen the Surat, Gujarat for Technology transfer knowledge exchanges to meet collaborations, agri-business industry possibilities in the field of Fisheries partners and ICAR may play a pivotal role • UAS Bangalore has entered current market needs etc. in bringing other relevant stakeholders MoU with Jain Irrigation for technology including AUs and policymakers on one transfer opportunities platform, and facilitating and converting • Technology transfer and the industry engagement opportunities commercialization into strategic partnerships through signing the ICAR – AU- Industry linkages. of Memorandum of Understandings Under NAHEP, AUs have been Such collaborations or linkages can (MoU) among partners. developing or deploying emerging be further scaled up through following Short / Medium term MoU: Industry technologies around various thematic ways: internships and placements, Professional areas such as sustainable agriculture, 1. Research Partnership workshops, Knowledge exchange market intelligence, digital farming, Agreements: Company or a group of programs, Industrial training and protected agriculture and natural farming, companies working with researchers exposure visits animal food safety etc. Technologies at HEIs to solve a sub-sector specific Long term MoU: Collaborative developed through research in these challenge R&D, Technology transfer and areas will ultimately be transferred 2. Industry sponsored Research commercialization to the industry for scale up and Projects: Includes research activities A detailed MoU will help industry commercialization where AUs can suitably which are commissioned to HEIs by partners and ICAR to better understand identify the requirements and collaborate industry clients/private players on fee and adhere with the scope of work, with private players in agriculture and basis (consulting, certification, testing, timeline and achievement allied space that will further strengthen quality checking etc.) milestones.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 71 Fount Of Life

Mushrooms Immunity Stimulators, Income Generators ushrooms are achlorophyllus macrofungi for children. Mushrooms can ensure food and nutritional security without leaves, stems and roots. They are and also income, employment and livelihood security in rural cultivated abundantly all over the globe. India. There are 13 million species of fungi, of There is shift in consumption of mushroom from processed to which 1,40,000 species of macrofungi are fresh mushroom. Many countries of the world earlier consumed commonlyM called as mushrooms. Many of them are edible, non canned or processed mushrooms. Now, consumption of fresh edible, medicinal, poisonous and miscellaneous species. The mushrooms is being preferred. edible and medicinal mushrooms are now widely recognised, Naturally growing mushrooms in India still needs to be consumed and used as herbal medicine to boost the human investigated for their huge nutritional, pharmacological and immunity against biotic stresses, particularly viral infection including Covid. High awareness is being created for the production About the Author and consumption of mushroom globally. The production of mushroom in India has reached 2,25,000 tons. Our per Prof MP Thakur is State capita consumption is only 25g as against a global average Nodal Officer (Mushroom) of 5-6 kg. There is strong need to diversify mushroom species and also Director Instructions for cultivation in India having suitability for varying climatic & Controller of Examination, conditions, rich in nutritional and medicinal value and have Indira Gandhi Krishi commercial potentiality to generate income. Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, In September 2020, the government explored the feasibility Chhattisgarh of inclusion of mushroom and honey in mid-day meal scheme

72 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Fount Of Life

commercial potential. We can examine the value of processing wild edible mushrooms which grown in plenty during congenial climatic conditions.

Mushroom as Immunity Booster Mushrooms are rich in several phytochemicals and multi nutrients which are essential for the growth, development, protection and immunity of the human body. More than 30,000 species of bioactive secondary microbial mushroom processing & value addition, metabolites have now been recognized. mushroom marketing and export in India. Over 40 pc of these are of fungal origin. These need to be replicated throughout Mushrooms are the only natural source the country as a sole source or additional of Vitamin D for the vegetarian diet. It is source of income. The youths of rural, highly rich in minerals (particularly sodium urban and peri-urban areas of India may and potassium), crude fibres, vitamins, be sensitised, motivated and convinced to proteins and carbohydrates but low in fat take up mushroom activities in a small to and sugars. Mushrooms are considered Dr Thakur enjoys listening to large scale so that they may become job as low calorie food which is most ideal music. He is passionate about providers rather than job seekers. for patients suffering from diabetes, blood helping students, entrepreneurs India still does not have fully pressure and hypertension. Mushroom and rural women in shaping their mechanised and automated mushroom protein (22-32pc) is highly digestible career through mushroom pro- spawn laboratory which can produce because of the presence of all essential duction, processing and market- quality spawn in time and make it available ing technology amino acids required for the growth of to all those who wish to grow varieties of human body. Pulses and cereals are mushrooms. The demand of the spawn is the main ingredients of the vegetarian still more than its supply in India. We need diet which are proficient in proteins Income generation from Mushrooms to standardise the production technology and carbohydrates respectively. Some of different edible/medicinal mushroom Mushroom is capable of bringing prosperity essential amino acids which are not species, depending upon the prevailing to rural areas, as has been the experience present in pulses or cereals are present climatic conditions and availability of in China. It has the capacity to mobilise in mushrooms. The amino acid score of cheap resources. This way, production about 12 crores migrant labourers as a mushroom is at par with that of milk and cost may be minimised and profit may be source of income generating ventures. It meat. maximised. can target the peoples from low income Presence of polysaccharides and In order to enhance shelf life of group to enhance their income and provide other bioactive compounds in edible/ mushroom during transit and export, it is business opportunities. There are several medicinal mushrooms have anti-tumour essential to study and validate different successful examples of mushroom spawn activity. Mushrooms have attracted processing and preservation technologies production, mushroom crop production, the attention of scientists globally for suited to Indian conditions. It is also their health benefits. These biologically important to explore the commercial value active compounds have been identified, in export of mushrooms. Mushrooms can characterised and commercially exploited be used for the production of nutritionally for varying health benefits against Mushrooms can ensure food fortified foods (vitamin D enriched varieties of pathogenic microbes using and nutritional security and mushroom, Calcium, Zinc, iron fortified latest biotechnological and bio medical mushrooms) or value added food (royal engineering tools/techniques. Mushrooms also income, employment oyster capsule, mushroom fortified wheat can be explored as a valuable source of and livelihood security in flour, mushroom nuggets, mushroom herbal medicines, pharmaceutical drugs rural India papad etc.) This shall open up a whole and agrochemicals. It can be a multi- new market for mushrooms globally. It million dollar business. can also ensure nutritional security for our country.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 73 Eco Agriculture Revolution Eco Agriculture is the way forward: Dr Dalwai

ono cropping is not Dalwai, CEO, NRAA and Chairman, Speaking on the occasion, Dr the right choice for DFI Empowered Body, Ministry of Dalwai said that Green Revolution was the farmers. It may be Agriculture, GOI, at the Algae Energy essential for India’s food security, but convenient for them, Eco Agriculture Revolution Seminar now we need more sustainable systems but farmers shall be and Awards 2021, organized by the in agriculture that can meet the nation’s Mable to prosper only if they opt for Agriculture Today Group on May 21. Dr need for food and nutrition. diversification in agriculture. Dalwai was the chief guest for the first Addressing the winners, Dr MJ This was stated by Dr Ashok edition of the Eco Agriculture Awards. Khan, Chairman Indian Chamber of

74 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 Eco Agriculture Revolution

Food and Agriculture (ICFA) said that river. It was also decided to encourage eco agriculture is the practical approach natural farming along the Ganga and for the shift towards sustainable suitably train farmers. agriculture. Dr Khan said that it is the Eco agriculture reduces the Mr Sanjay Nath Singh, Secretary middle path which farmers can easily load of chemicals on the crop, General of All India Farmers follow in order to refrain from heavy Association, said that eco agriculture use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides leading to safe food. It is cannot be confused with organic and other inputs. Dr Khan emphasized important to finalize standards farming. Mr Singh said that the shift that there is while productivity should to organic farming is not easy. Like not suffer, it is also essential that the at the national level which Sikkim, it takes a lot of time and patient consumers must eat healthy food. Dr can provide the roadmap to handholding to prepare farmers for eco Khan said that eco agriculture reduces the farmers to follow eco agriculture. Mr Singh said that safe the load of chemicals on the crop, food is a major priority but our farmers leading to safe food. It is important to agriculture are small and marginalized. They need finalize standards at the national level capacity building to shift to organic which can provide the roadmap to the farming. The government shall have to farmers to follow eco agriculture, he train and educate the farmers in this said. Authority) said that major initiatives regard, he said. Ms Mamta Jain, CEO and Editor have been taken to boost the export Dr PVSM Gouri, Executive of the Agriculture Today Group of organic products from India. He Director, Association of Indian welcomed the distinguished guests, the stated that APEDA has initiated the first Organic Industry, said that there is low awardees and the other participants traceability system of the country for a awareness among farmers regarding in the conference. She spoke about wide variety of agricultural products. organic farming. She said that in order how the indiscriminate and prolonged He informed that the Tracenet system to enable the shift to organic agriculture, use of chemicals has led to concerns enables the farm or the production skill development and empowerment of regarding the impact on human health unit to establish credibility and creates farmers is essential. Dr Gouri highlighted and the environment. Ms Jain said that transparency for all stakeholders. that the 20:20 model inspires confidence the Agriculture Today Group is awarding Shri Lok Nath Sharma, the among farmers and can be steadily the game changers and role models Agriculture Minister of Sikkim said upscaled. who have created success stories in that from 2003 to 2010, the state Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi, a the Eco Agriculture sector in order to prepared its farmers for organic farming. nationally awarded organic farmer acknowledge their role, and also inspire He said that with the handholding said the nation shall prosper if we other farmers to follow their example. provided to the farmers to excel in the balance the economy and the ecology. The event began with the conference organic sector, the state has gained Shri Tyagi said that co-existence with on Eco Agriculture Revolution – The significantly through cultivation of nature is essential. He stated that we Blueprint. Initiating the discussion, agricultural products that were majorly need a paradigm shift in both skill and Padmashri Dr MH Mehta gave in demand following the pandemic, knowledge in order to have an integrated the introduction to Eco Agriculture like ginger, turmeric and cardamom. approach to agriculture. Revolution, and provided the roadmap Organic farming is good for farmers and Dr Praful Gadge, Managing for the way forward. Dr Mehta said good for health, said Shri Sharma. Director Biome Technologies said that that India has made good beginning in The message from Mr Rajeev farmers cannot shift to organic farming bio input industry. “Now, the question Ranjan Mishra, Director General suddenly. He said that farmers are is not Why, but How, and also How Namami Gange, was read out by ready to accept ideas which can enable Soon?” noted Dr Mehta. He stressed Ms Priyanka of NMCG. She said that them to reduce the cost of production. that the 20:20 model is the right model the government is promoting organic The move to organic agriculture, he for doubling farmers’ income in a farming along the banks of Ganga river said, needs a major government push. sustainable manner. Padmashri Dr MH to help in achieving Nirmal and Aviral Dr Gadge highlighted that bio inputs Mehta is Hon. Chairman – The Science Dhara. She informed that the National help a farmer to reduce costs and Ashram and Gujarat Life Sciences. Ganga Council (NGC), chaired by the increase profit. He maintained that skill Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary APEDA Hon’ble Prime Minister, accorded top development of farmers is essential, and (The Agricultural and Processed priority to promoting organic clusters the government must promote start-ups Food Products Export Development in a 5-7 km stretch on both sides of the and entrepreneurs in this sector.

June 2021 AGRICULTURE TODAY 75 SEMINAR AND ATG AWARDS Adoption of Eco-Agriculture a long process, we all are stakeholders: Experts hallenges like acute water had shown excellent results. Continuous Dr Kaushik spoke about biological scarcity, rising input costs awareness of farmers is very important, solutions which protect plants from for agriculture and climate said Dr Marwaha. various diseases and aid growth. change will make the Dr Ajay Ranka, Managing Director Mr Vipin Saini, CEO BASAI (the farmers shift towards eco Zydus Industries said that it is imperative Biological Agri Solutions Association Cagriculture. This was the view expressed for the farmers to make the move from of India) said that minimum waste and by some speakers at the conference chemical farming to bio farming. He said pollution can be achieved by a fusion on Bio Inputs and Waste Management that with sustained effort and farmer of technological and biological systems. organized as part of the Alga Energy education, it is possible to bring down the Their integration is very important, said Eco Agriculture Revolution Seminar and usage of crop care chemicals to zero. Dr Mr Saini. He highlighted that social and Awards organized by the Agriculture Ranka said that land with intensive use institutional innovations shall be required Today Group. of chemical inputs has become hard and for sustaining agro ecological production Dr Debabrata Sarkar, Managing compact. Farmers are observing that the and consumption. The circular economy Director Alga Energy was the field cannot breathe and they have to till is the way forward, he stressed. moderator for the conference. it more and more. He said that organic Mr RK Mehta, Chairman, Bamboo Addressing the panelists, Dr Sarkar said protection of crops has shown excellent Society of India, Telangana and that eco agriculture initiatives have been result and minimum pest attack. He also Andhra chapter said that biochar offers introduced by some state governments spoke about Project Sanjeevani of the huge benefits to farmers. It can be made in order to address emerging challenges Zydus Group, which has shown excellent with simple equipment and can lead to like water scarcity. Dr Sarkar said that a result. 10 to 30 pc increase in production. Mr study has revealed that rice and wheat Dr Nutan Kaushik, Director Mehta said that we must promote the bio production may go down by 40 percent General Amity Foundation, said that char culture. He revealed that bio char by 2050. He said that sustainable with adequate training, farmers shall be applications started in Europe and are agriculture is the need of the hour. He able to make the shift to eco agriculture. highly popular in the US now. said that we need to educate farmers Dr Suresh Motwani, Director about these critical challenges so that Solidaridad India said that there has the shift in the right direction happens. been a highly encouraging response Dr SS Marwaha, Chairman Punjab to their initiatives in India to improve Pollution Control Board said that the Sustainable agriculture is agricultural practices. Dr Motwani said Board launched an intensive program that the middle path of Buddha – the for educating farmers in the state the need of the hour. We 20:20 Model is the right approach to regarding the damage caused by parali need to educate farmers follow in the agriculture sector too. He burning. With the support provided by stressed that agri waste can be utilised NSS volunteers from six universities of about these critical on the farm in order to minimize the Punjab, farmers across the state were challenges so that the shift carbon footprint. made aware of the need to end the Winding up the discussion, Dr Sarkar practice of burning parali. Dr Marwaha in the right direction happen said that the eco agriculture revolution said that the mulching of paddy straw cannot happen overnight. It is a long using the specially-developed microbial process and we all are stakeholders in consortia Relife by Gujarat Life Sciences the journey, he said.

76 AGRICULTURE TODAY June 2021 June 2021 SEMINAR AND ATG AWARDS

Winners of Eco Agriculture Awards 2021

Recommendations Innovation in Organic Farming Suminter India Organics, Mumbai

* India must ensure agro-ecological State with Sustained Focus on Sikkim cropping. Sugarcane cultivation must not Eco Agriculture be allowed in arid or semi arid areas. Advocacy for Promoting Eco Solidaridad India, New Delhi * Finalize standards at national level to Agriculture give a roadmap to farmers who want to  Leadership Role in Curbing Dr SS Marwah and Dr Arjun Singh practice eco agriculture Parali Burning Mehta

* 20:20 Model is the right approach for  Leadership Role in Curbing Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Rohtas, Dr RK farmers to shift to eco agriculture Parali Burning Jalaj

* We must eliminate the wastage of any Exemplary Success Story in Dr Debasish Borah, KVK Udalguri, produce or by-product from the farm, Organic Farming ASSAM including crop residue Oraganization Promoting Agro Nature Pearls Private Limited, Kundli * Traceability of farm produce must be Exports ensured Organic Farmer in Leadership Padmashree, Sh Bharat Bhushan * Handholding, education and training Role Tyagi of farmers essential for adoption of Institution with Programs on University of Agricultural Sciences, sustainable agriculture Organic Farming Bangalore

* The government must push agro Best Company for Bio Inputs Geolife Agritech India, Mumbai industries to boost eco agriculture Best Extension Service for Dr Arjun S Tayade, Sugarcane * Very smooth process and standardized Waste Management Breeding Institute procedure essential for certification of  Best Start-up in Organic Basillia Organics, Pune organic agriculture Farming

* Students and NSA volunteers can be  Best Start-up in Organic Arham Organics, Baroda involved to raise awareness against crop Farming residue burning Lifetime Achievement Award Dr Suseelendra Desai, CRIDA

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