Prepare roadmap to promote food processing sector: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday directed the Industries and Commerce department to prepare a roadmap for launching a mission exclusively to deal with food processing sector under the Chief Minister's Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY). The state government has launched the CMSGUY for the development of villages by doubling the farm income.

Reviewing the activities of the Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), the chief minister underlined the possibilities of food processing industries and asked the department to immediately come up with a strategy to make best use of this sector, an official release said.

"He asked the officials to explore possibilities for value addition of agricultural products, which are produced abundantly in the state through food processing industries," the release quoted the chief minister as saying.

Sonowal also observed that in spite of having huge production of ginger, turmeric, orange, pineapple and tomato in the state, farmers have failed to extract desired benefit due to lack of proper market linkage.

"Therefore, he directed the AIDC to assess the market system to identify the promising areas of food processing industries in the state. He also directed AIDC to take on the responsibility to develop proper linkage between food processing industries and the market for developing productive environment for farmers," it said.

Highlighting the possibility of the AIDC to develop a better industrial ecosystem in the state, Sonowal asked the Industries department to promote entrepreneurship among local youth and directed to arrange industry visits by students for developing entrepreneurship zeal among them.

Set up in 1965, the AIDC in the last 50 years has developed 13 industrial infrastructures and 3,970 bighas of land bank for establishment of industrial units. So far 175 industrial units are operating from the land banks developed by the AIDC.

(Photo Credit: PTI)