Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Shri Chirag Paswan today inaugurated an exhibition under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme in Leh. The aim of the exhibition was to showcase the products crafted by PMFME scheme beneficiaries spotlighting local entrepreneurship, enhancing scheme awareness and strengthening market linkages for micro food processing enterprises in the region.
The exhibition was held at the DC Office Complex in Leh and was jointly organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) and the Department of Industries and Commerce, UT Administration of Ladakh. Shri Paswan visited the stalls set up at the exhibition and interacted with the beneficiaries.
He listened with keen interest to their success stories and encouraged all to keep going and achieve further success in their endeavors. Chairing the review meeting, the Minister remarked that Ladakh has a lot of potential when it comes to the food processing sector and concerted efforts need to be made to bring it to the mainstream.
Shri Paswan said that till not so long ago, the focus of the agricultural sector was on production and unfortunately not much thought was given to value creation. He said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, he dedicated his efforts towards producing value for the food processing sector and the results are there for all to see.
Referring to the unique produces of Ladakh such as sea buckthorn and apricot, the Minister said that these two products have the potential to make a mark on the global stage and we need to put in efforts and invest our resources to the optimal level to make this dream come true.
The Minister also made a mention of the World Food India initiative and said that all sectors associated with food processing should try to get associated with such a platform and gain from this experience. Shri Paswan said that as part of the modernization process, irradiation units are being set up across the country through joint efforts of the Central and state governments and more such efforts are needed in the future to remove bottlenecks that are being experienced at present.
He also highlighted the importance of buyer-seller meets and said that such events should be organized with greater frequency in the future. Earlier during the meeting, the Minister was given a detailed overview of the food processing sector in Ladakh by Shri Bhubesh Chaudhary, Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce Ladakh and Shri Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Director Industries and Commerce, Ladakh.
Shri D Praveen, Joint Secretary MOFPI and other senior dignitaries of the Ministry were also present during the meeting. The UT Administration was represented by DC Leh Shri Romil Singh Donk and other senior officials.