Governor: Set up R&D centres to develop rural India
Tuesday, 25/06/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130625/punjab.htm#16
Chandigarh : Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil today lamented the half-hearted approach of the private sector in taking initiatives in the food processing sector. He also expressed concern over special funds allocated for growth and development of rural India lying unutilised.
The governor was speaking at the national conference on linking growth drivers of food processing industry, organised by ASSOCHAM here today.
“The industry should set up research and development (R&D) centres in rural areas to help the farmers get their due share, avoid the middle man and therefore make agro-products available to the common man at affordable prices,” he said.
“The food processing sector can bring prosperity, growth and development in rural India, but unfortunately today farmers are being exploited, consumers are being cheated while the middle man is minting money,” he said.
He emphasised that the corporate sector needed to work directly with farmers to help abate food inflation.
Assocham also released a study, wherein the apex chamber has suggested that the industry must switch to renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power as the rural sector suffered from acute power shortage. It said infrastructure like cold chain/storage, continuous process plants and information technology-based innovation for supporting the farmers required electricity.
“The government should adopt a stable and far-sighted policy for encouraging private trade procurement and this requires reforms on credit availability, storage limit and movement of grains,” highlighted the ASSOCHAM study.
It stated that there was a compelling need to establish post-harvest infrastructure and encourage contract farming for faster growth. There was also scope for the private sector and even non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help raise awareness among farmers.
A liberal credit policy for farmers, large investments in developing infrastructure for storage and preservation of fruits and vegetables to avoid wastage, logistics support and a farmer friendly approach in encouraging organic cultivation are some of the pre-requisites to achieve desired results in the food processing sector in rural India, said the ASSOCHAM study.
