Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan has said that the establishment of food processing industries is the need of the hour for India’s holistic development, as it can ensure sustainable growth for farmers, rural economies, and the youth. He urged young people to aspire to become job creators rather than job seekers.
The Minister was speaking after inaugurating a Common Incubation Centre established under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme at the College of Food Technology, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that achieving the vision of a Viksit Bharat requires active participation from students, farmers, and youth. While India has attained self-sufficiency in foodgrain production, the next priority should be value addition through food processing to improve farmers’ incomes.
He stressed the need to minimise post-harvest losses and promote food processing to enhance the value of agricultural produce. Highlighting the success of the PMFME Scheme, he said that many young entrepreneurs and women have transformed small-scale ventures into successful businesses with substantial turnovers.
Emphasising quality, the Minister said that Indian food products must meet global standards to strengthen the “Made in India” brand in international markets. He also called for greater adoption of natural farming practices, noting that excessive use of chemical pesticides often affects the global acceptance of Indian agricultural products.
Expressing confidence in India’s potential, he said the country should emerge as the “Global Food Basket,” with at least one Indian food product finding a place on dining tables across the world. He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to strengthening agriculture and ensuring food security.
The Vice-Chancellor highlighted the growing success of micro food processing industries and noted that nearly 24,000 such enterprises have been established across the country. He said the university has become a centre of learning for students from 21 states and that farmers in the Parbhani region are increasingly becoming self-reliant through food processing ventures.
Progressive farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, and students also interacted with the Union Minister on various aspects of food processing and agricultural entrepreneurship.
Earlier, during his visit to Nanded, the Union Minister paid obeisance at the revered Hazur Sahib Sachkhand Gurudwara, participated in langar sewa, and visited the Shankarrao Chavan Memorial Museum before proceeding to Parbhani.
