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Food Processing Directorate’s two-day workshop commences in Shillong
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Friday, 08 February, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated a two-day workshop on food processing opportunities in Meghalaya at the State Convention Centre in Shillong. It was organised by the newly-created Directorate of Food Processing in partnership with the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship (MIE) and the Meghalaya Basin Management agency (MBMA) to create awareness of the tremendous opportunities for self-employment and enterprise in the food processing sector amongst the target group, especially unemployed youths.
Its inaugural ceremony was attended by over 600 farmers, agri-preneurs, IVCS (integrated village cooperative societies) members, TRYSEFA graduates, farmer’s friends, chefs and food processors from all over the state, along with a host of other processing experts from institutes of national repute and officials.
The workshop featured lectures and presentations on various aspects of food processing by experts like Ng lboyaima Singh, senior principal scientist and professor, AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research), CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru; Shilpa Dey Deshpande, consultant, NABARD Consultancy Services, Mumbai; Natasha R Marak, assistant professor, College of Home Sciences (COHS), Tura; Sidhan Das, deputy director, Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Kolkata; Vivek Pandey, founder, Ecofrost Technologies, Maharashtra, D B S Mukhim, assistant commissioner, FSSAI, Meghalaya; G Kadirvel, PS and PI, Agri Business Incubation (ABI) Centre, ICAR, Umiam; A Rangslang deputy controller of legal metrology, Government of Meghalaya; P V S L Narasimham, chairman, Teewave Technologies, Hydrabad, and local processors like Dasumarlin Majaw of Smoky Fall Tribe Coffee, Shillong; Perastil R Sangma of Aslidia,Tura, and V Byrast of COLKS, Shillong who shared the experiences of their respective entrepreneurial journeys.
The chefs’ programme was also held on the sidelines of the workshop. At this meet, 25 local chefs met and interacted with local food processors to explore the possibilities of procuring and using locally-processed condiments in their restaurants and hotels.
Objectives
The Directorate of Food Processing was created to tap the potential of agro processing as a means of improving the economic status of farmers and rural entrepreneurs by creating additional employment and livelihood opportunities in both rural and urban areas and to bridge the gap between the agriculture and industrial segments of the state's economy, while addressing the long felt needs of entrepreneurs, micro- and small processors for facilitation, handholding and support to establish and scale up their food processing enterprises with attendant benefits to the economy, producers and actors all along the value chain.
The key objectives of the Directorate are:
- To function as a single, one-stop agency to handle all matters relating to food processing in the state, be they agriculture-based, horticulture-based, or plantation crop-based, and develop a strong and vibrant food processing industry, to create increased employment in the rural sector and enable farmers to reap the benefits of modern technology and create a surplus for exports while stimulating demand for processed food
- It will be the mandated agency to deal with agency to deal with all Central government ministries and agencies (viz. Ministries of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, SFAC [Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium], NCDC [National Cooperative Development Corporation], NABARD [National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development], etc.) insofar as the matters pertain to the development of agricultural food processing sector
- It will be the mandate of the Directorate of Food Processing to develop entrepreneurship in the food processing sector through various support agencies of the state and the Centre
- The Directorate shall network with academic, research and technology dispensing institutions of the country connected to the food processing sector, viz. CFTRI, Mysuru, CIPHET, Ludhiana, various agriculture and general universities, etc.
- The Directorate shall also explore possibilities for creating academic opportunities for the next generation of youth by way of having them admitted in certificate, diploma or degree granting programmes in the state or elsewhere in the country
- The Directorate will make all possible efforts to expand the market for the processed products, by way of organising efforts of the Department of Agriculture shall be carefully coordinated and calibrated into the Directorate of Food Processing
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