BLOG

Undoubtedly , at this time the importance of food processing sector has increased in the entire country including Madhya Pradesh in view of increasing the income of farmers and rural India and creation of new employment opportunities . Due to the increasing popularity of packaged food items, the food processing industry is growing rapidly , which is bringing huge opportunities for skilled youth in this sector .

Possibilities of food processing sector in agriculture-dominated Madhya Pradesh

Since Madhya Pradesh is an agriculture-based state, with the food processing sector growing rapidly in Madhya Pradesh, the possibilities of more career opportunities in this sector are emerging. Since at present the overall concept of food has completely changed. Therefore, food technology based on agriculture has opened up very good and bright opportunities for employment and career. Day by day the population is increasing at a fast pace and at present India ranks first in the world with a population of 142 crores and the agricultural land is continuously decreasing. Due to this, the gap between production and consumption is increasing. This gap can be reduced by the use of food technology and processing. By using food technology, a large amount of food items can be processed and they can be saved from spoiling and food items of better quality and nutrients can be made available for consumption in the market. In such a situation, this sector is highlighted as a sector that will also increase employment opportunities significantly.

In the last nine years, India's food processing capacity has increased from 12 lakh tonnes to a high of 200 lakh tonnes

It is worth mentioning that under the World Food India held on 3 November in Delhi with the objective of showcasing India as the ' food basket of the world ' , it emerged that India's food processing sector is an emerging industry in which foreign direct investment (FDI) of Rs 50 thousand crore has taken place in the last nine years and India's food processing capacity has increased more than 15 times from 12 lakh tons to 20 million tons. In the last nine years, the share of processed food products in the country's total agricultural export has increased from 13 to 23 percent. There has been a 150 percent increase in the export of processed food products.

Five sectors of food processing create multi-faceted employment

There are five sectors under food processing in India. 1. Dairy sector , 2. Fruit and vegetable processing , 3. Cereal processing , 4. Meat , fish and poultry processing and 5. Consumer goods , packaged food and beverages . India remains the largest milk producer in the world. India ranks second in the world in terms of wheat and fruit production and third in vegetable production. Globally , India is known as a major producer of banana , mango , guava , papaya , ginger , okra , rice , tea , sugarcane , cashew , coconut , cardamom and black pepper etc. But still India is far behind in terms of food processing. But the level of processing of food production in India is very low compared to other countries of the world. According to the report of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), less than 10 percent of the total food production in India is processed. Whereas in many countries of the world including Philippines , America , China, food processing is many times more than in India. One of the major reasons for lagging behind in the food processing sector is also being far behind in food grain storage . Other major grain producing countries, China , USA , Brazil , Ukraine , Russia and Argentina have food grain storage capacity far exceeding their annual production volume.

Growing exports of processed food products lead to increased employment

It is also noteworthy that under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), EPF has been formed for the cultivation of various fruits , food grains and flowers. Emphasis has also been laid on strengthening the existing ' agri-clusters ' and creating more product-specific clusters. APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility of promoting Shrianna and has increased its resources. APEDA has taken a step further and created the Shrianna brand to encourage the consumption and business of Shrianna. Samples and startups based on ready-to-eat and ready-to-serve Srianna are being collected , which can make noodles , biscuits , breakfast , pasta , cereal mix , cookies , snacks and sweets etc. from millets , ragi and other coarse grains , so that it can be easy to promote exports in the world market. All these export-related campaigns have increased employment in various stages of food processed exports.

PLI scheme of Rs 10,900 crore for food processing industry is increasing employment

It is also important that the PLI scheme implemented by the Central Government with an allocation of Rs 10,900 crore for the food processing industry under the Production Based Incentive (PLI) scheme is promoting value-added food products . Under this , manufacturers of ready to eat and ready to cook , dairy sector , fruit and vegetable processing , grain processing , meat , fish , poultry processing , consumer goods , packaged food and beverages are being given incentives based on their investment and commitment to increased sales .

The new PLI scheme for the food processing sector will help the country move forward rapidly on the path of food processing industry by preventing post-harvest crop wastage , better food security , quality certification system , technological upgradation and logistics improvement. Also, this scheme will help in developing the brand of Indian food processed products in the global market.

Career skills in food processing sector-

It is important to have skills such as analytical ability for innovation and research, food preservation, technology development, interest in health and nutrition, responsibility and ability to work in a team, good communication and self-confidence, which are beneficial for building a career in the food processing and food technology sector.

Career courses in food processing sector and Educational Requirements

To meet the needs of the food industry, B.Tech./B.Sc./M.Tech./M.Sc. and Ph.D. Food Technology courses are being offered by the leading Agricultural Universities and General Universities of the country. Admission to Food Technology courses by various Universities is done on the basis of entrance examination. CFTRI , Mysore conducts its own entrance examination. Twenty five percent of the seats for postgraduate degree in Agricultural Universities of the states are filled on the basis of All India Entrance Examination. For admission to B.Tech./B.Sc. courses, one must have passed 12th standard examination in Science (Physics , Chemistry, Maths/Biology) , for M.Tech . course, B.Tech. in Food Technology/Agriculture/Chemical Engineering and for M.Sc. Food Technology, one must have passed B.Sc. in Physics, Chemistry , Maths/Life Sciences/B.Sc. in Agriculture/Food Technology. B.Tech. is a course of four years duration and B.Sc. The duration of the Food Technology course is fixed at three years. The duration of M.Tech. and M.Sc. Food Technology course is fixed at two years.

Career options in food processing sector

No doubt, there are plenty of good jobs and self employment opportunities in food processing and food technology sector. There are good opportunities in food safety, nutrition security and research in government cooperative and multinational companies. There are also opportunities in the form of FCI Managers , BIS , Agmark Inspectors , Food Inspectors , etc. Private and multinational companies like Coca Cola , Pepsi , Cadbury , Quality Walls , McDonald , Nirula's , Glaxo India , Parle , Britannia , Vadilal There are also ample employment opportunities in various institutes like the Ministry of Agriculture, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, technology and agriculture related organizations and universities. There are also career opportunities in global organizations related to agriculture and food processing.

In such a situation, these days there is a huge demand for professionals like food scientist, food technologist, food chemist, food engineer or food microbiologist in all the companies related to food processing. For the last few years, the government has also been giving a lot of emphasis on promoting this sector by setting up mega food parks at various places in the country and relaxing the FDI limit for this.

Pursue a career in the food processing sector

If you have interest, qualifications and capability to work in food processing sector, you can join any quality food processing and food technology related educational institute in Madhya Pradesh or in the country. Various courses at Diploma, Degree and Post Graduation level are available. Be sure to take a step forward towards a career in the food processing and food technology sector which has bright prospects by choosing the right college/institute and the right course.

Dr. Jayantilal Bhandari ( Renowned Career Counselor) 111, Gumasta Nagar , Indore- 9 ( Phone- 0731 2482060, 2480090)