BHUBANESWAR: To promote, empower and educate agro and food processing MSMEs, the Union ministry of food processing industry (MoFPI) on Friday organised an exhibition and conference on millets and food processing managed by Knowledge Chamber of Commerce and Industry here in the city.
The exhibition cum conference saw participation by more than 250 MSMEs from agro and food processing industry.
Inaugurated by Union MoFPI secretary Anita Praveen in the presence of Saswat Mishra, Odisha MSME secretary, Knowledge Chamber of Commerce & Industry director Dr Amit Joshi, the conference also marked participation by industries bodies and various agro and food processing industries.
More than 20 companies, including micro food processing enterprises, self-help groups, farmer producer organizations, producer cooperatives, etc. displayed products at the exhibition.
‘Government of India has many schemes running for this kind of business. Financial assistance is being provided by banks like SIDBI and NABARD to set up new business or upgrade machines, training is being given at District Industries Centre and information about market knowledge is being given by PMFME DRP’s. For Example, rice is the main crop in Odisha. If its products are made and sold, the price of rice increases manifold. For this, it is important that the quality and purity of the product is good so that marketing is good and the farmer becomes not only a producer of food grains but also an entrepreneur,’ said Union MoFPI secretary Anita Praveen.
