The Hindu Business Line : President lays stress on small food processing units

New Delhi, Nov 14 The President, Ms Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, inaugurated the 27th India International Trade Fair today in the Capital describing it as an “effective showcase for Indian trade and industry”.

The President said the theme for the fair is “processed food and agro industries” at a time when the country’s agricultural scenario was gradually looking up. She said agricultural exports rose last year by around 20 per cent over the previous year.

The country’s strong agricultural base provided a large and varied raw material source for the food processing industry, which should be encouraged to set up small and medium scale units closer to agricultural production centres. This would be useful in generating employment in rural areas and would also be beneficial to the food processing industry in terms of securing supply of raw materials and savings on transportation costs, she added.

Mrs Patel said agriculture produce specific to the area could be utilised, its food value enhanced by adding nutrients.

She further said women could be engaged to prepare hygienic and ready-to-eat-meals for children. She said the trade fair could be a platform for working out partnerships for investment, business and technology sharing in the agro-industry sector.

Presiding over the inaugural function, the Union Commerce & Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, said the Government’s growth-friendly policies have rendered Indian industry and enterprise more efficient, globally competitive and free from restrictions .

The 14-day event has attracted participation from 44 countries including those from of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

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