Tumkur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he has asked soft drink makers like Pepsi to try and mix aerated drinks with 5% fruit juice to help distressed farmers find a new market for their produce.
“We drink Pepsi, Coca-Cola and I do not know how many similar beverages are available in the market. The trade runs into billions of rupees. I have asked the companies if they can blend 5% natural fruit juice in the beverages they make,” Modi said after inaugurating the country’s first integrated food park.
“I am not asking for much. If 5% of juice from fruits produced by our farmers is added, the farmer will not be forced to search for a market to sell. A single decision can ensure billions of rupees of trade,” he said.
Modi added he has already asked the Central government’s research bodies to work on the possibility of blending cola drinks, which are widely considered unhealthy, with natural fruit juice.
By doing so, he said, farmers will not be forced to dump their produce and let it go waste because of unremunerative prices and the country can save Rs 30-40,000 crore by reducing the wastage of food products through processing.
According to a report by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations released last December, the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages is expected to increase by 16.5-19% over the next three years in the country.
The report says corporate manufacturers of non-alcoholic beverages are expected to grow at an annual rate of 16.5% and non-corporate manufacturers at 19%. The estimates are based on an assumed gross domestic product growth of 7%, which is much higher than the 5% growth several economists have forecast.
The country’s beverage market is largely unorganised, with nearly 75% of the demand serviced by companies in the unorganised sector. Modi, in his 20-minute speech, stressed on the importance of proper storage, processing and value additions, which will be done at the park.
He also underscored the need for adopting more scientific methods of farming.