Stressing on the need to check wastage in agriculture sector, which is estimated at over Rs44,000 crore, Union Minister for Food Processing Industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday said her main aim is that processed products should not be limited to elite sections only but should be in the reach of the aam aadmi as well.
Targeting the previous UPA Government, Harsimrat said during their rule, they emptied the coffers of the exchequer, and even failed to pay subsidy to farmers who were eligible for it since the year 2003. “Our main aim is that all such farmers should be given subsidy on priority basis,” she said. She also lauded the “Make In India” campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
Addressing the participants during a one–day national seminar on “Augmenting Processing and Shelf-life of Perishable Food Products” at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), she informed that Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) would be opening two centres in Bathinda and ludhiana. “PAU has given land for the setting up of Bathinda and ludhiana centres and once they start functioning, Punjab would be benefitted in a big way as all kinds of crops would be processed here,” she said.
Addressing the participants, Harsimrat Badal said her Ministry would concentrate on creating primary collection centres close to the food production areas to bring in efficiency in food processing and reduce wastages. She said that according to a study conducted by Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) in 2010, 18 per cent of the total produce gets wasted and to achieve efficiencies, her ministry would create an enabling environment including creating refrigeration facilities at all levels.
She urged the farmers to adopt organic farming as well as processing fruits and vegetable into non-alcoholic wines. She asked PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon to hold a monthly meeting where he should brief her about the ways in which farmers can be benefitted from food processing.