Page 20 - FPM June 2025

R.N.I.NO. DEL/ENG/2016/66563

20 BACK PAGE June 2025
Food Processing News Today
PET recyclers' body flags delay in FSSAI nod to

plants for food packaging material manufacturing

elay in granting licences by food invited members from FSSAI and others
safety regulator FSSAI to to verify the plants and did everything the
Drecycled PET manufacturing government wanted us to but we are
units is likely to push a majority of such being left high and dry due to their casual
plant operators into bankruptcy, the attitude,” Shailendra Singh, Director
Association of PET Recyclers (Bharat) General, APR Bharat. Plastic Waste
said. The industry has set up an annual Management Rules were introduced in
capacity of 4 lakh MT at an estimated 2016 with industry industry stakeholders
investment of Rs 7,500-8,000 crore to being involved in the making of the
produce recycled polyethylene regulation. Since then, various
terephthalate (r-PET) to be used as food- amendments have been made based on
contact packaging material, a statement industry feedback and issues. In 2022,
said. there was a mandate for companies to
Revised FSSAI guidelines, which should use 30% recycled food-grade plastic,
have been in place at least 2-3 months which was plastic, which was to come into
before April this year, were notified only effect from April 1, 2025.
in the last week of May 2025, which has These guidelines, which should have
further extended the timelines for licence been in place at least 2-3 months before
issuance to more than nine applications April 1, 2025, were actually notified only
pending with FSSAI since December in the last week of May 2025, pushing the
2024/Jan 2025. The delay in production timeline for issuing license for issuing
could lead to investments of around Rs licenses further.
8,000 crore, going to waste. Half of these “Brands are unable to comply with the
were funded with bank loans, which Ministry of Environment, Forest and
could turn into non-performing assets Climate Change of India's mandate, as
(NPA). there isn't enough recycled capacity.
“Prime Minister Modi's statements on Hence, there was an expectation that the
the push for sustainability enthused our government will announce some sort of
members and they got the world's best referral, either in timeline or will reduce
technology, matching international the target but neither of that has
standards and set up a plant. We even happened,” Singh added.

Govt sets foodgrains production target for

2025-26 crop year at 354.64 million tn

ndia is targeting 354.64 million tonnes in the Kharif and rabi seasons of
tonnes of foodgrain production in the the current 2024-25 crop year. The
I2025-26 crop year starting July on the production estimates for summer (zaid)
forecast of better monsoon rains, a senior sowing are yet to be released.
government official said. The foodgrain production in the summer
season (zaid), sown between February
and June which is between rabi harvest
and kharif sowing season, stood at 16.5
million tonnes in 2023-24.
Among foodgrains, the government has
set a target of 147.35 million tonnes of
rice production for 2025-26 crop year.
Paddy is grown in all three seasons.
The country is estimated to have
produced 136.44 million tonnes in kharif
and rabi seasons of 2024-25 and the
number will go up once the estimates for
In the current 2024-25 crop year (July- summer (zaid) season are released.
June), the government had set a target of For wheat, which is grown only in rabi
341.55 million tonnes of foodgrain (winter) season, the production target
production. has been set at 117.40 million tonnes for
Foodgrains include paddy, wheat, coarse the next crop year as against the
cereals and pulses. estimated total production of 115.43
Already, the country's foodgrain million tonnes in the current 2024-25
production has reached 330.92 million crop year, the official said.
Printed, Published and Owned By Sajar Jamal Zaidi 323-C, Pocket E, GTB Enclave, Near Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital Shahdara, New Delhi-110093 Tel.:+91-9867601701, Email:info@foodprocessingbazaar.com
Printed At. Neeta Press Shop No-1, 3572, Jatwara St, Darya Ganj, Delhi - 110002
Editor: Sajar Jamal Zaidi Co-editor: Ummul Baneen Chief-Co-ordinator: Adil Abbas Naqvi-+91-9867601701