UP set to transform food processing, dairy sectors: Kaur

Uttar Pradesh was all set to transform its agri-food processing and diary sectors in a big way, said union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaking at the session on the sector in UP investors’ summit on Wednesday.

“The impact of investment in agri food sector would be felt in the state in the next two years. The food processing sector is a giant which has now woken up in UP. A similar international investors meet for food processing ‘World Food India’ was organised in Delhi last year. There international companies signed MoUs of more than Rs 1lakh crore investments and UP being the largest state of country will get a lion’s share,” she said.

The minister further said UP was the leading milk producing state accounting for nearly 17% of its total production in the country.

“Similarly it produces fruits like guava, mango, Indian gooseberry, watermelon, muskmelon in abundance. UP is second largest producer of carrots, bottle gourds, pumpkin, parwal, highest producer of wheat, sugarcane, meat bust still people are not fed properly because high amount of food is wasted. On an average, around Rs 1 lakh crore of food products go waste in the country in a year. This can be saved through processing,” she said.

“The government has doubled the budget of department due to high opportunity of jobs in the sector,” she said.

“Investors should invest in the sector as the government was ready to give a subsidy of Rs 5000 crore for this sector. Rs 6000 crore has been earmarked for ‘Pradhanmantri Kisan Sampada Yojana’. For establishing food parks government is ready to give subsidy,” she added.

She said the government also was keen on laying foundation stone besides inaugurating the ventures in the state.

Kaur struck a chord with the audience by terming herself as ‘UP Ki Beti’ as she sais she spent her childhood in Gorakhpur and studied in Lucknow. She said she still missed Shukla Chaat in Hazratganj. The minister said she would be the happiest person if she could something for her ‘Maika’ (mother’s place).

POTATO BOARD

Speaking on the occasion, deputy CM Keshav Maurya said the state government had constituted the Potato Board to protect the interests of farmers.

‘STATE GOVT INKED 664 MOUS’

UP minister for food processing Surya Pratap Shahi said the state government had signed 664 MoUs of Rs 31,300 crore and these projects would start soon as his office was following them. Now the government was reaching out to entrepreneurs instead of their reaching the government.

MORE INVESTMENT IN B’KHAND, WESTERN UP

MD, Amul Milk, RS Sondhi said the company was ready to invest in the state. “So far, Amul has invested Rs 400 crore which would be doubled soon. The company is thinking to invest in Bundelkhand and western UP besides increasing the capacity of its Kanpur and Lucknow plants,” he said.

MORE FOOD PARKS SOON

CEO, Patanjali Foods, Ravindra Chaudhary said Patanjali had invested Rs 2,000 crore in the food processing in NOIDA food park and will continue to invest.

‘ONLY 12% MILK IS PROCESSED IN UP’

Only 12% of the total milk produced in the state was currently processed in the organised sector to make milk products against the national average of 17%, said principal secretary, dairy development and animal husbandry SM Bobde. “The new policy targets to take this to an ambitious 30% during the next five by attracting an investment of Rs 15,000 crore,” he said. “Even at 20%, we will be able to get an investment of Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 11000 crore at 20% milk processing,” he added.