A high-level inter-ministerial group will meet here tomorrow to review use of radiation technology for preservation of perishable food and agriculture commodities to enhance their shelf life and prevent food wastage.
Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, A K Sharma, Head, Food Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and A K Kohli, Chief Executive, Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) at BARC will present a blue print of an integrated plan before a group of seven ministers.
The meeting convened at the initiative of Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari, will be attended by Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, MOS, Food Processing Industries, Agriculture among others.
Radioactive technology will not only help enhance shelf life of food but also would provide a value proposition for farmers and consumers alike.
More than 10,000 farmers in Maharashtra have benefited from radiation technology used for onions under the guidance and assistance of Kakodkar and his team at the BARC.
According to Gadkari, the idea is to suggest application of the model at the national level for all agriculture produce for benefit of the farming community.
