Radiation processing food tech vital: Kakodkar

Hyderabad, Sep 8 (UNI) Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar today emphasised the need for encouraging radiation processing of food to boost productivity, mitigate post-harvest losses and provide value-addition to agro-produce thereby paving the way for creating opportunities in rural areas in a big way.

Delivering the inaugural address at the national symposium on ''Radiation Processing of Foods, Food Products and Feeds'' organised by Federation of Farmers Associations here, Dr Kakodkar said the technology can serve as an important link for bringing about change in the country and reverse migration of rural people to urban areas.

''This technology has the potential to play an important role, not only in enhancing security and safety of food in the country, but also in overcoming quarantine and quality barriers to export of agro-produce.

Absorption of appropriate modern technologies can make agriculture a more sustainable and profitable occupation for the cultivators and provide the necessary edge to our traders and exporters by making our produce globally competitive,'' he explained.

Though India's economy was driven by agriculture, the benefits were yet to be experienced fully.

''About a dozen radiation processing food units are coming in the country. The farmers cooperatives and organisations should come forward to set up these units,'' he said.

Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director Srikumar Banerjee described radiation processing as one of the emerging technologies which showed promise in not only extending the storage life of perishable agro produce but also improving their hygiene and elimination of quarantine pests.

The BARC had the required know-how for the transfer of this technology for large scale commercial applications.

Dr Banerjee said efforts would be made to set up a radiation processing unit in the new BARC campus coming up at Visakhapatnam.

Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy called the technology as another food safety tool and the only alternative to increase food exports from the state.

His government would extend all the possible cooperation for setting up radiation processing of food units in the state, he added.

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