Patnaik seeks setting up of NIFTUM

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sought steps by the Centre to set up a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTUM) in the state which, he said has a huge potential in the sector.
"As you may be aware, Odisha with 10 agro-climatic zones, has a huge potential for the food processing sector," Patnaik said in a letter to Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Odisha, he said, is not only surplus in production of rice but also has substantial output of maize, horticulture produce, spices like ginger and turmeric and sea food items.

A food park is already operational at Khorda with certain popular food processing units like Britannia, Indo-Nissan, ITC Ltd, Parle Agro and Coca Cola India, he said.
"The MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada is ready to commence its operations and the Sea Food Park at Deras near Bhubaneswar is at an advanced stage of execution," Patnaik said adding Eastern Nutriments Ltd is also in the process of development of another food park at Ramdaspur near Cuttack.
"In view of the fast growing agro-food processing sector, there is an imminent need for setting up of a National Institute of Food Processing in the state. I would, therefore, request you to consider sanctioning of a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTUM) in Odisha," Patnaik said in his letter.