Star News Agency

The food processing sector in India is geared to meet the international standards and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has been enacted which consolidates the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, safe and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and the matter connected therewith or incidental thereto. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is having the mandate to develop standards and also to harmonise the same with International Standards consistent with food hygiene and food safety requirement and to the conditions of India’s food industry. Besides, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has the scheme for total quality management involving implementation of HACCP/ISO 22000/GHP (Good Hygiene Practices) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) which is aimed at motivating the food processing industries for adoption of food safety and quality assurance mechanisms such as TQM including ISO 14000, ISO 22000, HACCP, GMP, GHP and preparing them to face global competition in post WTO regime . The meat industry is the collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. Food processing industry is widely recognized as a 'sunrise industry' having huge potential for uplifting agricultural economy, creation of large scale processed food manufacturing and food chain facilities, and the resultant generation of employment and export earnings. India has enormous growth potential from its current status of being the world's second largest food producer to be the world's number one producer.

Challenges and Gaps in Indian Meat Industry

Though fast growing, yet the level of processing in the meat industry is still lower as compared to other countries. The key challenges include organization of meat sector in terms of meeting global quality standards, regulatory bottlenecks and higher no. of unorganized market players. Establishing Disease-Free Zones for rearing animals is another area of concern.

Growth Potential/ Opportunities

India is blessed with rich livestock wealth and recognized as one of the most important livestock rearing country in the world with the largest livestock population of 449 million. Animal husbandry has been an integral part of rural livelihood and buffalo as a triple purpose animal (Milk, Meat & Draught) has imbibed well in the Indian rural hinterland. As per the last census held, the country has about 200 million cattle, 79 million buffaloes, 46 million sheep, 110 million goats and 10 million pigs. Indian Meat Sector with such vast raw material base, increasing domestic demand and high potential of export is expected to grow significantly. Despite this, India has not been able to position itself as a major player in global trade for a variety of reasons including lack of appropriate support infrastructure for processing, vegetarianism, religious reservations, regional preferences and preference for fresh and hot meat etc.

Poultry meat is the fastest growing segment in domestic market with a CAGR of about 15 percent. However, Buffalo meat production has been growing at a relatively less rate at a CAGR of about 5 percent. The current production levels is estimated at about 1.9 Million tones of which about 21 percent is exported to counties like Malaysia, Egypt and in Middle east region. Mutton and lamb is a smaller segment where demand has been outstripping supply, which also explains their higher retail prices in Indian domestic market. Only 24% is exported. Meat is primarily exported to the Philippines, Malaysia, West Asian countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman etc., African and CIS countries.

The Way Ahead

After the challenges and gaps are known, there is the time to mend them and tackle the issues. There needs to be an integrated view of development of meat sector workers. Efforts and support by government to Indian players to meet global quality standards and hygienic and scientific slaughtering in addition to the optimum utilization of by products is very much essential.

In this regard, in order to synergize the energies and efforts of every one related to the growth and development of meat and poultry processing in the country, the Ministry of Food processing Industries had formed a National Meat and Poultry Processing Board (NMPPB) as an autonomous body under the societies act and is functioning under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The NMPPB aims at boosting the growth of the sector for the benefit of the producers and processors. The Board will provide help to the industry in setting up or modernization of abattoirs by providing technical consultancy for the production of wholesome meat and meat products, value added meat food products and utilization of slaughterhouse by products.

Immediate needs of the sector are to take advantage of liberalized world trade to benefit the Indian meat industry by harmonization of standards, giving incentives to farmer for quality livestock production and to adopt stringent quality control measures, to develop long term strategies for export, popularize and develop traditional products technology, and regularly monitoring for chemical residues and microbial quality and produce international standard meat products.

The Board plans for modernization of Abattoirs in next five years by standardizing size, technologies, equipments, cost etc. / bench marking of Abattoirs, establishing a full-fledged self financing Consultancy Division and providing consultancy to 10 large Abattoirs and 10 class ‘B’ city Abattoirs to be set up. Consultancy will be provided for setting up 50 large and 110 small Abattoirs.

The Board will cater to the backward linkages- disease free zone/ Traceability etc by organizing meetings with the Department of Animal Husbandry regarding. One National Lab would be established by July 2010 and five Labs by July 2012 in alignment of domestic standards with international standards.