Growth of food processing industry in Gujarat 

The agricultural and the industrial development of Gujarat are taking place at a faster rate not only due to the keen interest of the State Government but also, due to the progressive and enterprising nature of the people of the State. Agro Industrial Sector has been one of the identified thrust areas in the successive State Industrial Policies.
In Gujarat, at present there are over 600 cotton ginning and pressing factories, 900 oil mills, 45 solvent extraction plants, 1500 rice mills, 48 flour mills, 18 sugar factories, 51 fruit processing units, 200 cold storages, 53 cattle feed factories, 256 bakery units, 65 fast-food manufacturers, 53 spices processing units, 18 sea food processing units, 45 milk processing plants, 12 dehydration plants, 9 paper board factories, 2 starch and 1 yeast making factory. Gujarat has currently over 16,400 small enterprises in food processing, beverage and tobacco processing and about 30,000 food processing units which employ over a million people in the State.
The industrial horizon has started widening and processing of agricultural produce will assume a major proportion. There is great scope of improving the efficiency and output of the existing food processing industries.