The government has offered the US and some European countries to jointly set up food testing laboratories here to ensure export consignments meet international quality standards.
"I have offered a proposal to the US and some European countries like UK, Italy, France and Spain to set up testing laboratories jointly with India," Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said today.
If the proposals fructify, domestic exporters would not face any hardships as their consignments will not be rejected in those countries, he said while inaugurating an exhibition -- Indian Animal Industry Expo 2007.
"As we have done in case of mangoes, all food products should be exported after testing the quality here itself," he said, adding testing norms are different in various countries.
Early this year, the US allowed import
of Indian mangoes but only after fumigation test in a designated laboratory set up in Maharashtra. Sahai said Indian missions abroad have been asked to take up the matter with concerned authorities.
He said in India 60-70 per cent people were engaged in agriculture as against four per cent in the US and 7-8 per cent in Europe. There was a potential for growth in processing as less than six per cent of farm products were processed in India compared to about 80 per cent in developed countries, he said.
Earlier, the chairman of CLFMA, a livestock body, C Vasantkumar said there was a need to recognise animal husbandary as part of agriculture. Poultry Federation of India President Jagbir Singh said since agriculture was a state subject, only three states -- Orissa, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh -- had recognised poultry as a farming activity.
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