Ranchi, Feb. 11: Chief Minister Raghubar Das laid the first foundation stone for a food processing unit at Nagdi. The foundation stone for Mother Dairy�s successful food brand �Safal� was also laid on the occasion.
It is the first unit of its kind in the eastern India. In the initial stage, the unit will process peas and export them worldwide. Later, another unit will be established for processing tomatoes. By December 2016, it is targeted to start a peas processing unit.
The project will benefit the farmers as they will receive the right value for their produce and the role of middlemen will be neutralized. Addressing the farmers at Nagdi today, Das said this is an important day for Jharkhand.
Das said, �The state government aims to empower the villages, the poor and the farmers. Agriculture is the biggest sector which gives employment. We can increase the yields by training the farmers and giving them technical help. They become self-employed and employ others also.�
Apart from this, the government is promoting food processing in the state. Entrepreneurs interested in the food processing sector will be given 45% subsidy. For this, the government has prepared a policy. The state government has signed a MoU worth Rs 800 crore. In this chain, foundation stone was also laid by the CM for a food processing plant of Mother Dairy. Very soon, a mega food park will be inaugurated in Getalsood.
Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Randhir Kumar Singh said that Jharkhand is on the track of development. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Das, many new plans are taking shape.
Local MLA Navin Jaiswal, T. Nand Kumar, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board, Agriculture Secretary Dr. Nitin Madan Kulkarni, Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Secretary to the CM, S Nagarajan, MD, Medha Dairy, and a large number of farmers were present on the occasion.