Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced that Andhra Pradesh is attempting a major growth for its food processing industry.
He stated, “The state has introduced the AP Food Processing Policy 4.0 to attract investments worth Rs 1 lakh crore over the next five years. The aim is to make Andhra Pradesh a lead state in food production and processing.”
Speaking at the India food manufacturing summit, hosted by the Trade Promotion Council of India, the chief minister welcomed investors to AP and outlined the state’s strengths. He said, “Andhra Pradesh produces 15.6 per cent of India’s fruits and contributes 32 per cent of the nation’s marine seafood exports. With 2.26 lakh acres under aquaculture and 6,000 registered food units, the state is active in the food industries sector.”
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Minister highlighted AP’s five climate zones and its leadership in aquaculture and horticulture. He noted that India was emerging as a global food processing hub, with AP contributing 9 per cent of the national output, valued at $49 billion.
Naidu highlighted the growing demand for quality food and the need for more processing units. Andhra Pradesh’s infrastructure includes nine integrated food parks offering ready-to-use facilities, cold storage and warehouses. The state is collaborating with major food producers to establish itself as a global processing hub, he said.
He claimed that the state led in the production of rice, mangoes, bananas, chillies, turmeric and shrimp. It ranked first in fish, shrimp and egg production. The state has a net cultivable area of 8.45 million hectares.
“The state contributes 17.85 per cent of India’s egg production and 10.41 per cent of the nation’s meat exports.”
Naidu encouraged investors to explore opportunities in the state’s food processing sector. He said, “Andhra Pradesh offers 17 lakh metric tonnes of cold storage and 33 lakh tonnes of warehouse space. Industrial parks are being developed across all 175 constituencies to support food and beverages units.”
He spoke about specialised agro clusters being established in districts like Chittoor, Guntur, coastal Andhra and Visakhapatnam. “These clusters focus on fruit, spices, aqua products, cocoa and coffee, offering region-specific advantages for processing and exports.”
The chief minister said that under the Food Processing Policy 4.0, the government would give incentives to attract new ventures. Projects with investments above Rs 200 crore are classified as mega projects and would receive additional benefits. “Last year, the state attracted Rs 10,000 crore in food processing investments, which reflects strong investor confidence.”
Secretary to the Union food processing ministry, Avinash Joshi, praised the state’s efforts and stressed the importance of reducing food waste. TPCI chairman Mohit Singla said a regional office would be established in Amaravati. Minister T.G. Bharath and principal secretary Chiranjeevi Chowdary also addressed the summit.