NIFTEM, A World-Class Institution on Food Processing, Inaugurated
at Kundli, Haryana
 |
NIFTEM or the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship
and Management was inaugurated by the Union Minister for
Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Sharad Pawar,
at Kundli, Haryana on November 07, 2012. Photo shows the main block of
this world class institute. Photo © PIB
|
Kundli, Haryana (PIB) --- If
there is one sector that has been growing faster than agriculture as well as
manufacturing sectors, has the potential to create jobs in the rural areas,
bridge the gap between the price paid by the consumer and that received by the
farmer and create value addition and earn foreign exchange by export of
value-added farm produce, it is the Food Processing Sector. In addition, this
sector does not only remain a bridge between farmers and entrepreneurs, it
converts the farmer into an entrepreneur.
This was stated by the
Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Minister, Sharad Pawar after
inaugurating NIFTEM, a world-class institution in food processing sector, here
today. Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Minister of Water Resources
Harish Rawat, Ministers of State Tariq Anwar and C D Mahant, Member of the
Planning Commission, Arun Maira, and local Members of Parliament and
Legislative Assembly were present on the occasion.
While highlighting the huge
potential of this ‘sunrise sector’, Pawar also spoke about the challenges the
sector faces and how NIFTEM will help the sector to grow. “Though a sunrise
sector, it is facing various bottlenecks like lack of infrastructure, packaging
and grading centres quality control and testing facilities. However, I
consider, lack of human resource as one of the most important impediments in
the development of this sector. Many entrepreneurs meet me and tell how
difficult it is to get skilled manpower to work. It is in this background, the
foundation of NIFTEM was laid. This institute is expected to bring a pioneering
work in development of Human Resource in the food processing sector,” he said.
Pawar said that NIFTEM will
provide one-stop solution to the food processing sector. He elaborated:
“Besides developing world class managerial talent and advanced knowhow in the
area of food science, food technology and management, it will function as a
knowledge repository in the food processing domain, conduct frontier area
research for development of the sector and facilitate business incubation
services. The Institute will offer high quality education, research and management
programme specific to the food industry, provide referral advice on food
standards, disseminate knowledge on the food sector and provide business
incubation facility.
The Institute will also
provide other core activities to bridge the skill gap between demand and
availability, provide complete spectrum of consultancy services to food
processing industries, strive for promoting Innovation in the sector and work
for upgradation of SME clusters.”
One important aspect of its
functioning is that it has ‘theme centres’ on different sectors such as
dairying, cereal-based products, animal protein, beverages, confectionery, and
fruit and vegetable based foods. There are also themes cutting across these
sectors, e.g. management, packaging, food standards and testing, Pawar said.
Earlier, Minister of Water
Resources, Harish Rawat expressed the hope that NIFTEM will bridge the serious
shortage of skilled manpower in this sector.
The MOS, Tariq Anwar
emphasised the need for modernising the complex distribution system of farm
commodities. Chancellor of the institute, Rakesh Kacker gave details of the
state of art facilities created at the institute.
NIFTEM or the National
Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management has recently been
conferred Deemed University
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