Kohima, July 23 (MTNews): Y Kikheto Sema, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Government of Nagaland, on Friday while speaking at the North East Food Processor’s Meet, asked the Centre to develop policies that are appropriate for small and hilly states. The event which was held in Kohima was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
He claimed that by adding value to and exporting Nagaland’s many unique goods, like King Chilly, Naga Cucumber, Pineapple, Ginger, and Turmeric, young entrepreneurs have a fantastic opportunity to make money.
He continued by saying that the farming method used in Nagaland is unique and requires careful study.
He remarked, “To assist the farmers, the government of Nagaland has established 12 automatic soil testing facilities.
A one-day seminar on the potentials of food processing was arranged in the state of Nagaland by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Food Processing, and the Government of India where the Meet’s main goal was to talk about the potential for food processing in Nagaland.
The goal is to find chances to increase the export of value-added agricultural products from the state to high-demand markets for processed foods, such as Dubai, Singapore, Bangladesh, and the European Union.
He also used numerous examples of entrepreneurs who have been successful in their endeavours.
A presentation on the various ministry programs that are appropriate for mountainous states like Nagaland was given by Subham Tayal of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. According to Tayal, the food processing sector in India is among the largest in the world, and the small states in the North Eastern Region can help fuel this expansion.
The steps done by Invest India to attract foreign investors to the North Eastern states were discussed in a presentation by Adit Sharma, Assistant Manager, Invest India.
Associate Professor of Engineering at Nagaland University, Dr. Khan Chand, spoke on the engineering side of food processing. Dr. Khan announced the opening of the Incubation cum Common Facility Center between the Nagaland University and the Industries Department of the Nagaland government.
The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management’s (NIFTEM) Assistant Professor (Department of Food Engineering), Nitin Kumar presented a lecture on the affordable technologies that are appropriate for small business owners.
Additionally, he mentioned that many of these technologies are owned by his company, NIFTEM, and offered to donate them to ambitious business owners.
Along with a Round Table Discussion, Business Meet, and Investor Meet involving major banks including NABARD, State Bank of India, HDFC, etc. with the entrepreneurs and FPOs from Nagaland, the program also included a special session on government and banking initiatives.