R and D can make Indian meat to be taken as organic world over: Sahai

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Asking the National Meat and Poultry Processing Board(NMPPB) to formulate a plan to help even the remote and local villagers involved in meat processing, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai today said if the industry focusses on quality and research and development, Indian meat would be regarded as organic all over the world.

Speaking at the first national conference on 'Meat and Poultry Processing Industry in India - Potentials and Challenges' organised by the NMPPB here, Mr Sahai said with three million people involved in this unorganised sector, efforts should be made to make the raw materials reach the world market. The Minister pointed out that the Board should have two separate working groups - poultry and meat.

He also raised the matter of hygiene in the industry. ''Hygienic involvement is a big question. We won't impose some legislation but you should wear gloves and keep the meat in glass cases for keeping hygiene. This would increase your sales and business.

For this, only thinking is required and not money,'' Mr Sahai said.

Lack of trained men in the industry was another issue which needed to be addressed, he said and asked the NMPPB to hold regional conferences and involve local villagers who are into the business of meat processing. ''The Board should formulate a plan to help them and give it to the Ministry.'' With changing tastes of Indians, it was time for a pink revolution in the country, Mr Sahai predicted. ''India is the only country where people spend 40 to 45 per cent of their earnings on food. Besides, an entire world of food retail chains is coming to India and they survive by agricultural business,'' the Minister reasoned.

With the business now excise free and income tax free for newcomers, the Minister urged more and more people to invest in the meat processing and poultry industry. ''I strongly believe that there should be no taxation on perishable food. The newcomers to this trade have been exempted from Income tax by the Finance Minister for five years and central excise has been reduced to zero per cent. Even Vat is 0 to 4 per cent,'' he said.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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