Food Processing: Need of the hour as local produce increases

Dimapur, Sep. 7 (EMN): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries in association with the Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) organised a seminar at Hotel Lake Shilloi in Dimapur on September 7 with an aim to propagate the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), a scheme for agro-marine processing and development of agro-processing clusters.

Director of Horticulture Department, Dr. R Elithung Lotha, spoke on the topic “Creation, expansion of food processing and preservation capacities of food processing industries in Northeast region” at the event.

“Production alone cannot help; we need to have quality products, effective processing, and properly package of finished product,” Lotha told the entrepreneurs present at the seminar.

He said that “popular local products like kidney bean (kholar), pineapple are unable to get brand tag in the market because we don’t know how to process.” He added that “we have to know how to sell and where to find suitable market to brand the products.”

Nagaland is an agro-based industry but its produce and raw materials will go waste if there is no food processing technology, said Lotha, adding that the whole world is looking at Northeast India as a special region for many avenues and development but the region is not able to realise its strength.

He also highlighted on the need of a good transportation system, saying that local produce from far-flung villages require proper vehicle and cargo to reach the market. He said the Horticulture department concerned has requested the ministry to provide cargo facilities and that 30 youths have been trained to ensure export and import of local products.

The deputy director general of FINER, Rajeev Goswami, in his welcome address urged the youth to start working in their own home state instead of going to metro cities for job. He said that materials and all types of assistance are easily available at the ministry of food processing. He added that the ministry wants people from Northeast region to take up entrepreneurship.

The functional manager of Dimapur District Industries Centre, Rarenbenla Longkumer, spoke on the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) at the event. She encouraged the budding entrepreneurs to believe in themselves and dream big. “Business should start from a little thing but must have a big vision,” she said.

A member of Nagaland Bee Keeping and Honey Mission, Chubanungla Shilu, spoke about the success story of the mission, while Manager-Projects, FINER, Amitabh Ray gave a presentation on PMKSY.