Food processing industry vital for growth of U'khand: Guv

Food processing industry is of enormous significance for development of Uttarakhand because of the vital linkages and synergies it promotes between industry and agriculture, the two pillars of economy, Governor Krishna Kant Paul today said.
Inaugurating "Agri & Food Processor's Conclave: Finance - Technology - Market" here, Paul put emphasis on adoption of an integrated approach to facilitate development of agriculture and food processing industry in Uttarakhand saying it can create 3,20,000 additional employment opportunities.
Noting that growth potential of this sector is enormous, he said consumption of value added food products will grow at a fast pace.
"The consumption of processed food has gone up considerably. Youth are fond of processed food. The growth of the food processing industry will bring immense benefits to the economy, raising agricultural yields, creating employment and raising the standard of living of a very large number of people in the state, especially, in the rural areas.

The conference was organized by ASSOCHAM in collaboration with Ministry of Food & Processing Industries (MoSPI) and Industries Association of Uttarakhand (IAU) for providing a platform to aspiring food entrepreneurs, existing SMEs in food, agriculture professionals & students, progressive farmers and Self Help Groups for sharing their views and learn about latest initiatives and opportunities available in the field of Agro Food Industries.
Paul suggested setting up small food processing units in Uttarakhand saying there is a growing tendency among the youths to consume processed food in recent years.

"Often hard pressed for time, youngsters are more inclined these days towards processed and packed food. With growing demand for such food, food processing must be encouraged and the quality of these foods must be ensured," he said.

Hesaid there is enough scope for setting up small food processing units in the state as it grows fruits like apricots, apples, grapes, pears, peaches, litchis , mangoes and guavas.
If these fruits are processed properly, hill farmers could benefit directly, Paul said.
It could also help in checking migration from the hill areas, he said. Youth in the hills would get employment in food processing units and this would also attract them towards agriculture and horticulture, he said.
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra
Pradhan said Eastern India, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal will be connected with natural gas pipeline.

The Centre is also planning an investment of Rs 13,000 crore in Odisha, he added.
Meanwhile, Odisha is expecting an overall investment of over Rs 30,000 crore in the urban development sector in next 5-7 years.
The state is planning to develop 86 projects, with a total investment of Rs 77,108 crore, over the next five years under the national smart city challenge for Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, G Mathi Vathanan, Commissioner-cum-Secretary said.
The Bhubaneswar Plan has 50 projects worth Rs 4,537 crore, of which Rs 2,725 crore are likely to be invested through PPP mode, while Rourkela Plan has 30 projects worth Rs 2,571 crore of which Rs 334 crore is expected to be invested through the PPP mode.