Indian Food Production, Consumption and Processing
Food Production:
India tops the world in milk production with about 200 million tonnes in 2019-20.
As per Economic survey of India 2020-21, total food grain production was about 300 million tonnes for FY 20.
While India topped millet production globally, it was second largest producer of rice and wheat. It was also largest producer of total pulses.
In vegetables India ranks #2 in production of many vegetables like cabbage, green beans, green peas, cauliflower, eggplant, potato etc while topping in okra.
While it leads in some fruit production including bananas, mango, guava, papaya, lemons & lime, it is among top five producers in the world for coconut, tomato, apple, oranges and watermelons.
Dietary & Demographic changes:
Demographic projections suggest that India will be 50% urbanized by 2050. Much of this transition will concentrate in medium – and small-sized cities-with less than one million residents-that are also growing the fastest in India.
Infrastructure, market access, percentage working women in urban areas, and norms and institutions have a statistically significant influence.
National food consumption statistics suggest that this impending urban transition can lead to large-scale dietary changes.
Urbanization influences consumers to move away from traditional staples, towards increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, meat, food prepared away from home, and processed/packaged foods.
Household Food Consumption:
As per latest National Nutrition Monitoring Beurau (NNMB) study, analysis of average household consumption of foodstuffs to determine the % Recommended Dietary Intake was done.
Cereals & millets, green leafy vegetables and milk and milk products were found to be consumed less than recommended.
When compared to the nutrients consumed, it was found that except for vitamin C and folate, all the other nutrients intake was less than recommended.
Protein, Calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin were all consumed less than the recommended levels.
Food Processing Sector:
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.
By 2030, Indian annual household consumption to treble, making India 5th largest consumer
Drivers of Growth in Food Processing:
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is making all efforts to encourage investments across the value chain.
Under PMKSY, 41 Mega Food Parks, 353 Cold Chain projects, 63 Agro-Processing Clusters, 292 Food Processing Units, 63 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects & 6 Operation Green projects across the country have been approved.
