A summit on ‘Agriculture and Food Processing Opportunities in Madhya Pradesh’ organized by the Ministry of Food Processing, in partnership with ASSOCHAM and Invest India through video conference, encouraged entrepreneurs to set up food processing units in the country, and assured them that the government will provide all possible help. Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj said that the government is granting speedy approvals to the food processing projects. The union minister also stressed on the need to bring private investment and latest technology in the field of farming.
He noted that 86% of farmers in the country are small farmers and, until they are not empowered, the self-sufficiency of villages and growth of agriculture sector cannot be imagined. Central Government is making efforts so that small and medium farmers could also cultivate expensive crops, and get the benefit of agro-technology to produce crops of global quality standards.
Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package, Rs. 1 lakh crore has been allotted for agricultural infrastructure which will help in bringing infrastructure such as cold storage, ware houses to villages. The Central Government is setting up ten thousand new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in the country with an estimated spending of 6865 crore rupees. FPOs will be given a 3 percent rebate in interest for loans up to Rs 2 crore taken for the purpose of agriculture.
India is a surplus nation in terms of food grains production. India is also a leading producer of milk and horticultural produce in the world. Now, there is a need to focus on food processing. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is working rapidly in this direction with several schemes. There are challenges faced by the farming sector due to climate change. He said that farmers should focus on cultivation of pulses, oilseeds as well as coarse grains in low water areas instead of wheat and paddy. He highlighted the importance of coarse grains as immunity boosters in the context of Covid-19. He added that self-help groups should be involved in the processing of oilseeds so that women of weaker sections in the villages can also be benefited financially.
Talking about the opportunities in Madhya Pradesh, he has said that there is immense potential in the field of food processing in Gwalior-Chambal region and this could improve the economic condition of small farmers of the region. The region has good production of paddy and wheat, and there is great potential for the production and processing of pulses and oilseeds, especially mustard.
