Karnataka Agribusiness and Food Processing Policy 2015.

The Government of Karnataka had formulated the Industrial Promotion Policy for Agro Food Processing Industries in June 2003 and the Integrated Agribusiness Development Policy during March 2011. The Agribusiness and Food Processing sector in the State requires a special focus and thrust. There is a need to have an exclusive Agribusiness and Food Processing Policy to give focused attention for the overall development of Agribusiness and Food Processing sector to give value addition to farm produce for the benefit of farmers.
The Vision of the Karnataka Agribusiness and Food Processing Policy 2015 aims to reach a sustained growth path in the field of agricultural and related sectors through global technologies and innovative tools, by creating enabling frameworks and state of art infrastructure facilities, thereby generating higher returns to farming communities. Its Mission is to achieve the following: make Karnataka as the most sought after investment destination for the agribusiness and food processing with focused attention and hand holding; provide more and more opportunities for the agribusiness and food processing sector, thereby generating large scale employment in rural and semi urban areas of the State; give special thrust for skill development; create conducive environment for optimal utilization of agriculture and related sector resources for the sustainable industrial development.
The Policy aims to achieve the following objectives for the overall growth and development of agro processing sector in the State with an ultimate goal of providing remunerative return to farmers' produce: increase the value addition and reduce wastage, thereby increasing the income of farmers; maximize direct and indirect employment generation opportunities; create necessary supply chain like transportation, warehouses, and cold storage in the agro processing sector; increase the flow of investments across the supply chain from farm to market; extend the supply chain and infrastructure opportunity in rural area.
The adopted strategies aim to reach the following goals: reduce the post harvest wastage, increase value addition to farm produce, generate employment in rural and semi urban areas, develop agribusiness and food processing enterprises and adequate post-harvest infrastructure especially storage and transportation facilities is necessary. To achieve this, the strategy adopted includes: Encouraging investments in the supply chain infrastructure to reduce post harvest loss; Strengthening linkage between processing enterprises and Research & Development institutes; Fiscal incentives for setting up focused industrial clusters and food processing parks in potential food clusters; Encourage adoption of quality certifications, green and clean practices, energy efficient measures; Declaring the entire State as single zone for availing incentives and concessions. The Policy envisages the support and encouragement to the formation of product specific farmer organizations for the mutual benefit of farmers as well as food processing entrepreneurs. This will go a long way. in the improvement of production, productivity and quality of raw material required by the food processing industry.
The Policy shall cover the warehousing, silos, cold storage logistics related to agribusiness, export, processing, handling, storage of agricultural, horticultural, floriculture, spices, medicinal & aromatic plants, fish, meat, poultry, dairy, organic produce, research for varietal development, bio-technology, bio-informatics, food testing laboratories, quality certifications in entire value chain, tissue culture laboratories, seed processing units, irradiation units, food-grade packaging material units and preservatives, horticulture hub, food parks, sea food parks and spice park.