Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India can lead the next level of agricultural transformation and poverty reduction with the help of key Government initiatives, the World Bank said on June 9.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in collaboration with the World Bank Group-led Sapling Initiative, inaugurated the Regional High-Level Policy Dialogue in Ahmedabad.
At the ‘Sapling High-Level Policy Dialogue,’ the World Bank highlighted that transforming food systems beyond the farm can unlock significant opportunities.
South Asia stands at a critical moment in its development journey. The region’s agriculture sector is valued at over $700 billion annually and employs nearly 43 per cent of the workforce.
However, despite its scale, agriculture contributes only around 16 percent of the region’s GDP. More than 30 percent of food produced in South Asia is lost or wasted every year — enough to feed nearly 300 million people, said experts.
They emphasised that the next phase of agricultural transformation lies not merely in increasing production but in expanding food processing, storage, logistics, marketing, and value addition. These activities can create millions of productive jobs while reducing food losses and increasing farmers’ incomes.
In India, food grain production has increased from 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to more than 330 million tonnes today.
Processed food exports have also more than doubled over the past decade, rising from approximately $4.9 billion to over $10 billion. The food processing sector currently contributes around 9 per cent of manufacturing value added and nearly 13 per cent of India’s exports.
