A committee of the West Bengal assembly on agriculture, food processing and horticulture has recommended the establishment of a monitoring committee to study the progress of food processing and horticulture in the state.
The monitoring committee will comprise heads of the departments of food and technology in Jadavpur University and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur as well as some industrialists.
In its seventh report to the assembly, the committee has observed that there is enormous scope for food processing and horticulture in the state .
Himachal Pradesh has made progress in these areas. Maharashtra also has shown excellent results in the marketing and export of mango and grapes. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have made great strides in commercial horticulture and floriculture.
The committee has reported that multinational companies like Pepsi Foods, Kellogs and Cadbury Fry have made entry into the food processing sector and set up manufacturing facilities in the country while the biotechnology companies like Cargil Seeds, and Khoday Bio-technology have set up shops in Karnataka.
The report, has mentioned that most of the food processing units in West Bengal are in the cottage and small-scale sector. Though Pepsico has shown interest so far, no big house has set up food processing units. In the last four years, more than 700 food processing units have been set up and most of them have survived. In its recommendations, the subject committee has stressed the need for efforts by the government to bring in large private companies in biotechnology, food processing, horticulture, commercial floricultural in the state.
For this purpose, the concerned minister and secretary should tour other states to explain the natural advantages in West Bengal in this sector to entrepreneurs and also to learn the progress made by these states.
