58 lakh jobs created in Food Processing Industry in a three-year period

IndiGlobal Bureau

Food Processing Industry (FPI) is proving to be one of the major job creating industries in the country. It is contributing nearly 11 per cent of employees engaged in registered manufacturing sector. If we look at three year period from 2016-19, nearly 58 lakh jobs were created in this industry alone. The data for registered manufacturing sector including food processing sector was brought out by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI). Minister of State for M/o Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel shared these details of employment in registered food processing sector in Parliament on Tuesday.

It may be noted that in 2010 itself a study by industry body Assocham said that the food processing & beverages sector creates maximum employment on every Rs 10 lakh invested in the segment followed by textiles, agriculture, wood, paper and leather. It stated that the food processing and beverages sector creates 120 new (direct and indirect jobs) on investment of Rs 10 lakh.

Source: Annual Survey of Industries 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19

India’s Food Processing sector is one of the largest in the world and its output is expected to reach $535 bn by 2025-26. Major sectors constituting the food processing industry in India are grains, sugar, edible oils, beverages, and dairy products.

During the last five years ending 2019-20, the Food Processing Industries sector has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 11.18%. As per the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2018-19, food processing was ranked 1st in total persons engaged in the manufacturing sector. The key sub-segments of the Food Processing industry in India are Fruits & Vegetables, Poultry & Meat processing, Fisheries, Food retail, dairy industry.