Food Processing and Related Industries · HCS (Haryana)

What the official syllabus says

General Studies III (Main Written Examination, Paper V):
Food processing and related industries in India - scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

Topics in detail

Scope and significance

Levels of processing: primary, secondary and tertiary
Sub-sectors: dairy, fruits and vegetables, grain milling, edible oils, meat and poultry, fisheries, beverages, bakery and confectionery, ready-to-eat foods
Significance: reduces wastage, raises farm incomes, creates rural jobs, adds value, earns exports
Role of micro, small and medium enterprises and the unorganised sector
Low share of fruits, vegetables and other perishables that is processed, compared with dairy and grains
Food processing and nutrition: fortified foods, millet-based products, mid-day meal and ICDS supplies
Use of by-products and waste: bran oil, molasses and ethanol, husk for power, fish meal

Location of food processing industries

Raw-material oriented and market oriented industries
Factors: perishability, transport, power, water, labour, clusters
Agro-processing clusters, food parks and export zones

Upstream requirements

Assured supply of raw material of the right quality and variety
Contract farming and farmer producer organisations as aggregators
Collection centres, primary processing and grading at the farm gate
Quality seeds and processing-grade varieties

Downstream requirements

Packaging, branding and retail; modern retail and e-commerce
Export standards and certification; APEDA and export promotion
Consumer demand, changing diets and urbanisation

Supply chain management

Farm-to-fork chain: harvest, aggregation, storage, processing, distribution
Cold chain infrastructure: pack houses, reefer transport, ripening chambers
Logistics costs and intermediaries
Traceability and food safety

Policy and institutions

Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (2017): mega food parks, cold chain, agro-processing clusters
PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme (2020) and the One District One Product approach
Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the food processing industry (2021)
Operation Greens (2018), first for tomato, onion and potato, to steady prices
Agriculture Export Policy (2018) and export clusters
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Research and training institutions, including the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management at Kundli (Sonipat)

Food safety and quality

Licensing and registration of food businesses under the Food Safety and Standards Act
Adulteration (milk, spices, edible oils) and food testing laboratories
Eat Right India movement (2018); hygiene ratings; food recalls
International standards: Codex Alimentarius; sanitary and phytosanitary measures in trade

Constraints

Low level of processing of perishables; seasonal raw material
Credit, technology and skill gaps in small units
Taxation, regulatory compliance and standards
Weak links between processors and small farmers; role of women's self-help groups in micro processing
Testing laboratories, labelling and packaging standards

Overlaps

Haryana: Agriculture, Water and Animal Husbandry: basmati milling, dairying and food processing in the State.