BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said Odisha with a vast geographic, climatic and crop diversity presents a unique opportunity for exploring its potential in the food processing sector for an inclusive economic growth.
Inaugurating the Odisha FoodPro 2022 virtually, the Chief Minister said the food processing sector will be a powerful driver of State's growth story. The food processing sector has tremendous potential towards post-harvest crop loss, value addition and enhancing farmers' income, he added.
Naveen said the event has been conceptualised not only to enable the investors to understand the investment environment in the food processing sector in the State but also to provide exposure to the micro and small food processing entrepreneurs to access financing as well as newer skills and technologies.
Announcing that Odisha FoodPro will be made an annual event, he said it will be organised by MSME department each year to put Odisha on the food processing map of India and the world. Highlighting the contribution of the self help groups (SHGs) in the transformation of the socioeconomic canvas of the State, he said it will witness further escalation by making them partners in a modern supply chain.
The Chief Minister expressed happiness over the participation of the women SHGs in this event and hoped they will engage themselves more in the food processing activities and will prosper further.
Outlining the policy provisions of the State, he said in order to create a conducive environment for the food producers and processors, the State government is implementing a favourable policy framework through Industrial Policy Resolution 2015, MSME policy 2016 and Odisha Food Processing Policy 2016.
Odisha is also among the leading states in the implementation of the Prime Minister's formalisation of micro food processing enterprises scheme, he added. Energy and MSME Minister Pratap Deb said the event is a first of its kind in Odisha.
He outlined the efforts of the department and growth opportunities in this sector, especially for small investors and entrepreneurs. Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra delineated the importance of the sector in economic augmentation of the farmers and producers.