New Delhi, Nov 19 The Union Government on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that the vision document 2015 has been prepared in order to increase the level of processing and to promote food processing industries to exploit both the domestic and international market potential for processed food products.

In a written statement to the lower house, the Union Food Processing Industries Minister Subhodh Kanth Sahay said: "The vision document envisages tripling the size of the processed food sector by increasing the level of processing of perishables from 6 percent to 20 percent value addition from 20 percent to 35 percent and share in global food trade from 1.5 percent to 3 percent by 2015."

The minister also informed the members, that the government has approved an integrated strategy vision to promote agribusiness, strategy and action plan for the food-processing sector.

In his reply, Sahay said the level of processing of fruits and vegetables in the country is estimated at 2.20 percent.

"The low level of fruit and vegetable processing is due to non-availability of processable varieties of raw materials at right quantity and quality, seasonable nature of industry, lack of adequate post-harvest infrastructure such as lack of cold chain facilities, transportation, proper storage facilities etc," he informed.

It is estimated that the processing level in the food-processing sector has gone up from 6 percent to 10 percent and value addition has gone up from 20 percent to 26 percent during last five years.

Sahay informed the house that the ministry has been implementing various schemes for promotion and development of food processing industries.

He also informed the housed that a National Horticulture Mission has been launched with an objective to boost the horticulture sector. (ANI)