Year: 2018 | Month: September | Volume 7 | Issue 3
Performance of Fruit and Vegetable processing under Food Sector in West Bengal
Abstract:
Food processing has been identified as a major thrust area in West Bengal’s future industrial development. Fruit and vegetable processing sector is one of the core segments under food processing in Bengal. Development of this sector is critically important to the expansion and diversification of state’s agricultural sector. It provides vital linkages and harnesses synergies between the two pillars of our economy, industry and agriculture. Bengal has huge potentials for the growth of this sector in the state. Since economic liberalization, several policy measures have been taken by union and state governments to promote fruit and vegetable processing in the state in particular and in the country in general. But such growth potentials are constrained by several factors. The processing of fruit and vegetable is still at a very low level in Bengal (2.8 per cent) as well as in India (2.2 per cent) against the highest post harvest losses (27 per cent). The main constraint lies behind this with infrastructure, technology, quality measurement and lack of farm-firm linkages. In view of the above facts this paper tries to examine the strengths of this particular sector in the state and highlighting on its existing constraints. The paper also made suggestions to achieve the future progress of this sector in Bengal.
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