Arunachal has huge potential for dev of food processing

Arunachal Pradesh with its varied agriculture, horticulture and other ethnic produces has huge potential for development of food processing industries, observed Union Minister of State for Food Processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti here today.
Addressing a programme - Arunachal Pradesh Food PRO, jointly organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries here, Jyoti said the Centre has given special attention for development of North East.
Stating that food processing industries contributes a total of 13 per cent to the national growth, she said Arunachal, though an industrially lacking state, could be developed through small and micro industries.

"The four Mega Food Parks being set up in the North East will provide enough scope for promotion of the sector, besides job opportunities to youths," the Union Minister said.
Arunachal Pradesh Industries minister Tamiyo Taga said the Food Processing Industry was of enormous significance for socio-economic development and employment generation.
Highlighting the status of the food processing sector in the state, Taga said 94 per cent of the state's population was dependent on agriculture as their main occupation.

"The state experiences varied agro-climatic conditions and smooth topography which enables great horticultural growth like spices, aromatic and medicinal plants, flowers and mushrooms besides, food crops," he said.

Taga said the key focus areas for agro-business in the state were high value organic horticulture crops like spices, fruits, tea, medicinal and aromatic plants, organic cultivation, bamboo, rubber and other plantation crops, floriculture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and food processing.
He said the state has an investor-friendly State Industrial Policy in place which provides incentives to eligible Food Processing Units of an additional State Capital Investment Subsidy of 20 per cent upto Rs 25 lacs.
State horticulture Commissioner Belatee Pertin called upon entrepreneurs to come up and avail government schemes and set up industrial units.
Informing that Arunachal Pradesh has earned huge accolades for its agri-horticulture and other produces at the recent Vibrant Gujarat Summit, he called for promotion of food processing sector in state, besides regulation of market prices through organised sector and organic certification agency.