Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there is a need to bring a food processing revolution in the country through public-private partnerships. Addressing a webinar on budget provisions for the farm sector, he highlighted the various initiatives taken by the government in the Budget for the next fiscal, including increasing the target of agriculture credit to Rs 16.5 lakh crore from Rs 15 lakh crore in the current financial year.
He emphasized on effective implementation of the Budget provisions. Modi said the government has taken various decisions for the benefit of 12 crore small and marginal farmers. These small and marginal farmers would become the driving force of the rural economy, he added. With the country’s foodgrains production increasing, Modi said: “There is a need for post-harvest revolution or food processing revolution and value additions.”
He said it would have been better if food processing was given attention 2-3 decades earlier. Modi said the food processing sector needs to be developed at a faster pace. For the food processing revolution, he said, the participation of farmers as well as public-private partnerships need to be increased. The Prime Minister said that the public sector has mainly contributed towards R&D in the agriculture sector, and now the time has come to increase the private sector’s participation in it.
He also stressed that farmers should be given alternatives so that they do not remain limited to growing wheat and paddy. The country’s agriculture sector must be expanded to a global processed food market, he added. Modi stressed increasing the number of agro-industries cluster along with the villages so that the rural population can get employment related to farming. He also talked about the need to encourage Agri startups, saying they have performed well during the pandemic period. The Prime Minister also emphasized establishing a network for soil testing at the village level and also on the accessibility of technology for farmers.
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