Bihar's large farmer population crucial for food processing: Paswan

Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday said Bihar with a large number of farmers can play a crucial role in the food processing sector.

Addressing a meeting with industry leaders and micro-entrepreneurs from the food and allied sectors in Patna, the minister said he would like to strengthen the food processing sector in his home state.

Paswan, the Union minister for food processing industries, said he would continue to work towards the uplift of farmers in the country as well as in Bihar.

The food processing sector is very important and this can help elevate the economic status of India. I will strengthen the sector in my home state. Bihar is a state with a large number of farmers and can play a crucial role in the food processing space," he said.

Paswan said he wished to see food processing as an employment-generating sector with maximum processing units across the country and Bihar.

The union minister chaired the industry roundtable meeting with industrialists and micro-entrepreneurs from food and allied sectors in the state capital.

I urge all states, including Bihar, to come forward and participate in the World Food India 2024, which is a flagship event of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and it will be organised from September 19-22, 2024, in Delhi," Paswan said.

The minister expressed his happiness at the significant industry participation in the regional meeting.

He also emphasised that processing is the way forward towards food security and prosperity.

Paswan promised that he would continue to push the agenda of development for Bihar and assured that the industry would receive full support from the ministry.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries Additional Secretary Minhaj Alam outlined the journey of World Food India and how it has helped position the country as an emerging food processing hub in the world.

This was the first meeting in the region for this year, organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in association with the PHD Chamber of Commerce.