Bengal's food processing policy soon: Official

The West Bengal government will soon come up with a food processing policy and a host of incentives for investors, an official said on Thursday.

"We will soon come up with a food processing policy," Food Processing and Horticulture Secretary Nandini Chakravorty said here.

She was speaking to CII Eastern Region Agriculture and Food Processing Taskforce members comprising CEOs of food processing companies, feed and fertiliser industries, cold storages, head of banks and heads of Export Promotion Councils.

The government is providing subsidy for setting up packhouses and cold storage modification, she said, underlining its commitment to help small companies, especially those facing problems over land and litigation.

Chakravorty said the government was focusing on ensuring better safety of products by setting up an irradiation facility in Hooghly district's Chinsurah and pointed out that fruit and vegetables grown in the state have the potential to hit markets in the US and Europe.

The government is preparing a study on logistics infrastructure for agricultural and horticultural produce. The idea is to identify and narrow certain gaps which hinder the growth of this sector, she said.

According to her, grapes processing can be a major opportunity for investors in West Bengal.

--IANS

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