A Conference cum Business Meet is being organized
at Kolkata on 7th November by the Ministry of Food
Processing Industries to attract potential entrepreneurs for setting
up food processing industries, particularly based on horticulture
products, in the North Eastern States.
The event would be inaugurated by the Minster
of State (Independent Charge) of Food Processing Industries Shri
N.T. Shanmugam. Ministers from States of North Eastern Region
and West Bengal besides representatives of major industries, financial
institutions, infrastructure service providers, public sector
undertakings and major growers of horticulture produce are expected
to participate in the Meet.
North Eastern Region (NER) comprising the States
of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Tripura and Sikkim with diverse agro-climatic conditions, varied
soil type and abundance of rainfall, offer immense scope for development
of horticulture. Despite favorable conditions for growth, the
NER remains under-developed and the resources remain untapped.
Focused development of horticulture in the Region has inherent
potential to bring in economic benefits to the farmers and to
the Region as a whole. Besides natural and raw material resources,
the Region offers number of advantages for setting up of processing
units both for domestic consumption and exports such as cheap
labour, availability of power, government incentives etc. The
prominent horticulture produce of the Region includes pineapple,
passion fruit, oranges, bananas, ginger, jackfruit, bamboo shoot,
spices etc.
Recognizing the potential for horticulture development,
the Government has launched a Technology Mission for Integrated
Development of Horticulture in the Region. Assistance to the tune
of Rs. 330 lakhs for eight projects in the North Eastern Region
has been approved so far. Further, the Ministry has approved assistance
for setting up of five food processing industrial parks in the
Region – two in Manipur and one each in Assam, Mizoram and Tripura.
