There is immense potential of agro-based industries: Guv

The Governor, emphasizing the need for developing the food processing sector in the region, said that the food processing sector in India is one of the largest in terms of production consumption, export and growth prospects. Referring to the significance of the food processing sector, the Governor said that a significant proportion of the agriculture produce get wasted during transition from place of production to consumption as well as during storage. It is therefore, he said, Government of India has accorded priority to the development of this sector with a number of schemes for infrastructure development, fiscal relief and incentives. He added, through all these measures efforts have been made to encourage commercialization and value addition to agriculture produce, minimize post harvest wastage, generate employment and boost exports of processed food.

Earlier in his speech the governor, enumerating the achievements of the state in various agricultural produce, said that besides the major food crops of rice and maize, the state is also renowned for its horticultural crops like orange, lemon. He added that the state has achieved significant success in the cultivation of non-traditional crops like tea, cashew nut, oilseeds, tomato, mushroom, wheat, etc and that it is enough potential for setting up a starch based processing unit in the State. Plantation crops like coffee, rubber, black pepper and arecanut are also becoming important products of the state, he said. He also said that a major breakthrough has been achieved in tea cultivation and that tea gardens have come up in various parts of the State. Referring on the Prime Ministers vision of “doubling farmer’s income”, he said that modern technologies should reach far-flung districts of the state to increase the revenue generation, which subsequently will lead to the development of the nation. He concluded with the hope that such conferences, with the presentations and deliberations of eminent speakers, will bring out innovative ideas and also prepare a platform for exposure to budding entrepreneurs; thereby help in the linkages to the market.

Other dignitaries who took part in the inaugural session were B Paul Muktieh, Chairman & Managing Director, NEDFi,  B Mawlong, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Meghalaya, Dr Ramgopal Laha Director incharge ICAR and Dr Om S Tyagi, Senior Director, ASSOCHAM.

The Plenary session was attended by  P K Marbaniang, Managing Director, Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.,  Hemelyne Lyngdoh, Director, Department of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya, P C Roy, Senior ZM, NERAMAC, Dr. Sanjeeb Kakoty, Associate Professor, IIM Shillong, Shri Aswini Bhattacharjya, Director, SeSTA Development Services and Sajjan Kumar Tharad, Secretary, Frontier Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Meghalaya.

By Our Reporter