TNN | 27 September 2014, 6:00 PM IST
LUDHIANA: Stressing on the need to check wastage in agriculture sector, which is estimated at over Rs 44,000 crore, Union minister for food processing industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Friday that her main aim was that processed products should not be limited to elite sections only, but should be within the reach of "aam aadmi" too. Wastage could be reduced if farmers took advantage of food processing industry. "Food processed is food saved," she added.
She said a mega food park was coming up at Fazilka and it would be inaugurated in October. "One such park is also coming up near Ludhiana soon," she added.
Badal said her ministry would concentrate on creating primary collection centres close to food production areas to bring in efficiency in food processing and reduce wastages. "According to a study conducted by Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) in 2010, 18% of the total produce gets wasted. To achieve efficiency, the ministry will create an enabling environment, including creating refrigeration facilities at all levels," she added. "Due to wastage of food, the market availability declines and it directly leads to inflation. So if we control wastage by taking help of food processing industry, we can control inflation. I am going to Ahmadabad on Saturday where we will study the model adopted by Amul," she said.
She even urged farmers to adopt organic farming as well as processing fruits and vegetable into non-alcoholic wines. She asked PAU vice-chancellor 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.
source
She said a mega food park was coming up at Fazilka and it would be inaugurated in October. "One such park is also coming up near Ludhiana soon," she added.
Badal said her ministry would concentrate on creating primary collection centres close to food production areas to bring in efficiency in food processing and reduce wastages. "According to a study conducted by Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) in 2010, 18% of the total produce gets wasted. To achieve efficiency, the ministry will create an enabling environment, including creating refrigeration facilities at all levels," she added. "Due to wastage of food, the market availability declines and it directly leads to inflation. So if we control wastage by taking help of food processing industry, we can control inflation. I am going to Ahmadabad on Saturday where we will study the model adopted by Amul," she said.
She even urged farmers to adopt organic farming as well as processing fruits and vegetable into non-alcoholic wines. She asked PAU vice-chancellor 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.
source
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