Five ultra-modern clusters to be set up in MP to promote horticulture and food processing
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29 August 2020, Bhopal: Chief Minister, Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan 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, Mr. 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, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Industry, Mr. Rameshwar Teli, Minister of State for Horticulture and Food Processing (Independent Charge) Mr. Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Chief Secretary Mr. Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Horticulture and Food Processing Smt. Kalpana Shrivastava etc. were present on the occasion.
During the webinar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr. 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 Mr. 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. 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.
Two Mega Food Parks coming up in Madhya Pradesh
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.
Roadmap will be prepared on the findings of the webinar
Chief Minister Mr. 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.
