Food processing sector in North-East part of PM’s Make in India: Badal

Food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal informed the invitees at an interactive session titled ‘Towards formulating the action agenda for the betterment of the North-Eastern food processing sector’ that food processing industries in the north-east were a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India mission.

The session took place in Guwahati on Tuesday, and was organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The minister said that organic production had a very huge demand in both the national and international markets, adding that only the north-eastern states had the potential to meet this demand through organised production.

“This is my maiden visit to the north-east, and I must thank ICC, the most proactive chamber in eastern India, for facilitating thisexclusive interactive session with you this afternoon. I am here to hear from the industry captains, entrepreneurs, growers and entrepreneurs of the food processing and allied sector and address the issues,” Badal said.

“I was surprised to see very little utilisation when I took over the ministry. In the past five months, I have ensured the use of 50 percent funds in a proper way,” she added. Calling on entrepreneurs to make the maximum use of the National Mission on Food

Processing (NMFP), Badal said, “Mega food parks have been conceptualised to have all the facilities of a food processing industry under one hub.”

“One of them is the North-East Mega Food Park in Tihu. Our government plans to set up food parks in all the districts over the next five years,” she added. Expressing her concern about the fact that the food wasted in India is almost equivalent to the consumption in the United Kingdom, she emphasised on the scientific and proper use of such facilities as mega food parks and help the farmers and growers in a right way.

Badal said, “Farmers are the future of the food processing industry. Our ministry would ensure that the food grown and produced reaches the consumers without wastage. That is what I call khet to thali (farm to plate), and we are committed to it.” Earlier she met the mission directors of the north-eastern states to discuss the progress of the projects undertaken under the National Food Processing Mission schemes.

J P Meena, additional secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), made a detailed presentation on NMFP schemes for the north-east. Sanjay Budhia, past president, ICC, delivered the welcome address, and Reedhima Thackkar, chairperson, Agro and Food Committee, delivered the keynote address.