Five ultra-modern clusters will be set up in state in next three years to promote horticulture and food processing- CM Chouhan

Bhopal: Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that five ultra-modern clusters will be set up in the next three years to promote horticulture and food processing in the state. One of these clusters will be world class. Like the conventional crops, horticulture crops will also be promoted in Madhya Pradesh. All efforts will be made to double the income of farmers through cold chain, value addition and food processing. Only the welfare of farmers can help in realizing the dream of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh. We will give income security to the farmers.

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was addressing the concluding session of the webinar on “Horticulture and Food Processing: Future Strategy” in Madhya Pradesh today. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Industry, Shri Rameshwar Teli, Minister of State for Horticulture and Food Processing (Independent Charge) Shri Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Horticulture and Food Processing Smt. Kalpana Shrivastava etc. were present on the occasion. State Head of United Nations Development Programme Shri Kumar Saket proposed the vote of thanks.

During the webinar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that it is a matter of joy that serious thinking is being done in the field of horticulture in Madhya Pradesh under the efficient leadership of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Based on its conclusions, the central and state governments will take Madhya Pradesh to new heights in the field of horticulture like agriculture. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan’s compassion for farmers and farmer friendly policies are amazing. The income of farmers can increase manifold from horticulture. He informed that the Central Office of Horticulture Mission in Madhya Pradesh will be started soon. Together the central and state governments will change the picture and fate of the farmers.

In the webinar, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that “Shivraj ji you have left our Punjab behind in wheat production”. Along with this, Madhya Pradesh is also in the forefront in organic agriculture. Work on two mega food parks (Khargone and Dewas) and eight cold chains is going on in the state. She informed that work on 30 projects worth Rs 800 crore is going on in the field of food processing in Madhya Pradesh. In this, a grant of Rs 250 crores, 24 thousand people will get employment and one lakh farmers will get benefits. In addition, “Agro Processing” of Rs 15 thousand crores will be possible every year. Lauding the “Ek Zila, Ek Utpad” scheme of Madhya Pradesh, she said that this will make the products of Madhya Pradesh popular abroad. Under the “Operation Green” scheme of the Central government, 50 percent subsidy will be given to farmers for transporting fruits and vegetables up to a distance of at least 100 kilometers. Farmers will also get 50 percent subsidy in the next three months if they keep their produce in cold storage. She urged Chief Minister Shri Chouhan to provide electricity to food processing industries at agricultural rate.

Madhya Pradesh will move ahead in both production and processing

Minister of State for Horticulture and Food Processing (Independent Charge) Shri Bharat Singh Kushwaha said that Madhya Pradesh will move ahead in both production of horticulture crops and food processing under the leadership of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The expectations that Prime Minister Shri Modi has from Madhya Pradesh in the field of food processing will surely be fulfilled by Madhya Pradesh.

Food processing and value addition important

Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Industry, Shri Rameshwar Teli said that both food processing and value addition are very important to boost the income of farmers. We have to move forward in these areas. The “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana” has been launched for the benefit of farmers and entrepreneurs in the country. Under this scheme, work on eight mega / mini food parks, cold chains, food processing units etc. is going on in Madhya Pradesh. The “Ek Zila Ek Utpad” scheme will be extremely beneficial for the farmers.

Punjab is our ideal as well as our inspiration

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Punjab is our ideal and inspiration as well in the field of agriculture. He appreciated the continuous support being extended to Madhya Pradesh by Union Ministers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur and Shri Rameshwar Teli.

Roadmap will be prepared on the findings of the webinar

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan informed that a roadmap will be prepared for the work to be done in the next three years in the field of horticulture and food processing in Madhya Pradesh on the basis of the conclusions drawn in the webinar. He informed that presently there are more than 308 lakh metric tonnes of horticulture crops in 21 lakh hectare area in Madhya Pradesh. The oranges, coriander, grapes, chilly, peas, potatoes of Madhya Pradesh are famous all over the country and the world.

Central team urged to conduct survey soon

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that this time floods in Madhya Pradesh have caused severe damage to the crops of farmers. He urged that the central team should conduct survey of crops of farmers in Madhya Pradesh at the earliest so as to ensure central relief to farmers as soon as possible.

First session: Key findings of production and increasing productivity (Farm Gate Management)

(Team Leader and Moderator, Shri Pushkar Singh, Commissioner, Horticulture and Food Processing Department)

To promote mechanization in horticulture.

Need to encourage integrated pest management and integrated plant protection skills.

To promote solar based micro irrigation.

Enhancing technology and startup in agriculture.

Establishment of Guarantee Fund / Reserve Fund for FPOs.

Imparting training of grading, sorting of horticulture products and creating a quality based market.

Use of satellite technology, (currently Israel uses this technology).

Second session: Key findings of Food Processing and Horticulture

(Team Leader and Moderator, Shrikant Banoth (IAS) Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh State Agro Industries and Shri Kumar Saket, Head of State Office, United Nations Development Programme, Madhya Pradesh)

Need for Integrated Agriculture and Food Processing Promotion Policy.

Developing value chains by adopting “Ek Zila Ek Utpad”

Promotion of processing and marketable varieties.

Rebate to micro units in interest rates and linking them to banks

Making loans for small food processing industries available at less interest rate like agriculture.

Encouraging quality certification / organic certification of horticultural products.

25 percent increase in storage capacity.

To develop a modified environment for long storage and transportation of fruits and vegetables, imparting training to farmers in the village itself for good packaging for small storage capacity.

Promotion of storage facilities / value addition / contract farming.

Upgrading 10000 micro food processing units in the next 5 years.

Currently, food processing is 2 to 3 percent, increasing food processing by 8 to 10 percent in the next 3 years.

Improvement of storage facilities.

Encouraging 100 farmer start-ups and horticulture entrepreneurs by promoting agriculture as a service model.

Market linkage, advisory services.

Farm to fork – encouraging market linkage.