India needs to focus on the export of value-added potato products for which there is need to create a complete cold chain facility, the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Agriculture, Tariq Anwar, said on Friday.
Inaugurating the third India International Potato Expo here, Anwar said technology transfers from multinational firms operating in the country should be another focus area and also called for a strong partnership with the private sector and industry associations in bringing in investments into the 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 organised $3-billion Indian snack market, which was growing at the rate of 15.20 per cent. The unorganised sector’s share is roughly $1.5 billion and was currently growing at a rate of 7-8 per cent, he said.
However, Anwar said the challenge was greater now as climate change would most certainly lead to higher average temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme events, multiplying the threats to sustainable food security.
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 partnerships, where the State Government may provide land and the private party would invest the necessary funds,” he added.
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 and others.