NEW DELHI: Inaugurating an 'Intergrated Food Park' at Tumkur in Karnataka,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that Indian farmers should be given
access to global markets. "For farmers to develop economically they need to be given
facilities for better growth," Modi said.
"Farmers work to provide for us, but if they are not developed then where will
they go? Therefore there needs to be value addition," Modi said. "Mangoes if made into
pickles get more revenue for the farmers. Farmers need to be taken to the global market,"
Modi said by way of example.
Modi stressed on the need for preventing wastage of food products. "Preventing
wastage of food and agricultural commodities can help save up to Rs 40,000-crore per
annum," Modi said. "We will encourage public-private partnership in food processing. I
asked softdrink makers if 5 per cent fruit juice can be mixed in aerated drinks," he added.
Talkig about the need for better state-centre coordination, Modi said, "Centre and
states should work together for nation's development. PM and CM may belong to any party,
the nation is one. We all have to walk shoulder to shoulder." "When the states become
stronger the nation will become stronger, when states progress the nation will progress," he
emphasised.
On Monday, Food processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had said that the
government will approve 17 food parks across the country over the next few months,
attracting investments of about Rs 2,100 crore.
Sharing the initiatives taken by the ministry since the new government took
charge in May, Badal said the government has sanctioned 20 new cold chain projects.
It is also exploring the new scheme for infrastructure and cluster development, she added.
Under the scheme (2008-09) of mega food parks, government has sanctioned
42 projects throughout the country, Of this, 25 projects are presently under implementation
in various states. For the remaining 17, the ministry has received 72 eligible expressions of
interest" Badal said.
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