Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that the Government is implementing Horticulture Development by taking initiatives including setting up various cold chains, Pack Houses, Central Sorting, Pr-Cooling, Reefer Vehicle, Primary processing units and Ripening chambers. It also includes processing units in the North-Eastern and Himalayan states.
Singh was addressing a conference on Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy, Poultry & Fisheries – Leveraging the Diverse India Opportunity at World Food India 2017 in New Delhi.
The World Food India, which is being organized in the national capital, is a unique platform where delegates from 60 countries of the world will not only understand but also assess our progress.
The Agriculture Minister said that special emphasis has been given to the overall agricultural growth. He listed Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, e-NAM, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card are some of our key schemes. The Government has allowed 100% FDI in food processing, Singh underlined.
The Agriculture Minister said that at the time of independence, we were unable to feed 34 crore population, but today, thanks to the hard work and wisdom of our policymakers, farmers, scientists, and food production officers, we have moved ahead among the countries suffering from food shortages and not only providing food to 134 million population but have also become a food exporter.
Shri Singh said that with just two percent of the world’s land we are not just feeding 17 percent of the global population, 11.3 percent livestock and vast genetic inheritance, but also exporting food. He said that today we are the world’s largest milk producer, second largest fruits and vegetable producer, third in the production of fish and holds fifth place in egg production.
Under MIDH, 4392 cold storages/ CA Stores of 19.47 million MT capacity, 20710 Farm Pack Houses, 411 Referral Transport, 408 Ripening Chambers, 4414 Primary Processing Units, and 101 Precooling Units have been set up as on March 31, 2017.