Food processing sector to create 4 lakh more jobs in FY'19: Badal

More than 3.85 lakh jobs have been created in the food processing sector in the last four years and 4 lakh more will be generated by the end of current fiscal as 15 new mega food parks become operational, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

Besides, 3.4 lakh direct and indirect jobs will be created with operations of 122 projects approved under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, she said, adding that more avenues will open up as both domestic and global firms commit investment in a big way in the sunrise sector.

Badal said the sector will get a fillip as the government will soon set up a non-banking finance company with private sector to fund food processing projects, she added.

"There has been a transformation in the food processing sector during the four years of our government, when compared to the Congress during 2008-14 when the sector was totally disorganised," Badal told media while highlighting her ministry's achievement in the last four years.

There is an investment commitment of nearly Rs 1,00,000 crore in the last one year alone and out of which investments worth Rs 73,000 crore have started materialising, he said.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg that shall unleash its real potential in the years to come."