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India needs to focus on export of value-added potato products, for which there is a need to create a complete cold chain facility, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Agriculture Tariq Anwar, said on Friday.
Technology transfer
Inaugurating the 3rd India International Potato Expo here, Anwar said technology transfers from multinational firms operating in the country should be another focus area and also called strong partnership with the private sector and industry associations in bringing in investments into the sector.
organised sector
Highlighting the potential of the potato processing industry, Anwar said potato chips and potato-based products occupied almost 85 per cent share of the $3 billion organised Indian snack market, which was growing at the rate of 15-20 per cent.
The unorganised market share is roughly $1.5 billion, which was currently growing at a rate of 7-8 per cent, he added.
However, the Minister said the challenge ahead was greater as climate change would most certainly bring higher average temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme events, multiplying the threats to sustainable food security.
Facilities
M.K Jalan, Chairman, India Chamber of Commerce-Agri Business Committee, said the country’s immediate emphasis should be on creation of post-harvest infrastructural facilities, such as collection and grading centres, washing facilities, packing, refrigerated vans etc.
“Cold storages can be set up on the basis of public-private partnership, where the State Government may provide land and the private party will invest necessary funds”, he added.
2-day expo
The two-day expo, organised by the ICC, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Food Processing, is being attended by international experts, academicians, policy makers, corporate houses, agri-scientists, bankers, members from the farming community and others.
On display are varieties of potatoes from West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Meghalaya among other States.
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