Dy CM holds fort on cold storage faculties
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR
Imphal, February 20 2018:
Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh has said that the Government has been considering to open cold storage facilities in every district of the State soon.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of a National conference on "Linking Startups and SMEs in Food Processing with Government Schemes & Markets" at Classic Hotel here today.
The Deputy Chief Minister said although agricultural and horticultural products are abundant in the State, adequate processing and preserving facilities are not available as of now.
He said, beside this, there has been long pending demand for opening cold storage facilities for preserving foods mainly fruits and vegetables in the State.
Keeping in view such necessities, at least one cold storage facility in each and every district is highly needed and therefore the Government has been planning to open them.
Joykumar Singh further said many fruits and spices like lemon, orange, pineapple, ginger etc and also vegetables of superior quality are available in Manipur.
Appealing to the entrepreneurs to look into such differences, Deputy Chief Minister said such quality products should be made available even in the international market.
He said various medicinal plants are also abundantly available in the state.
"Most of the plants which had been used as medicines by our forefathers have peculiar and unique values and the younger generations should be able to identify these plants as well as their properties", Joykumar said.
Deliberations in the conference will definitely help small and medium entrepreneurs to develop their businesses in future, he added.
Entrepreneurs from different parts of the State attended the conference which was jointly organised by ASSOCHAM in association with Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Research Complex for North Eastern Hill region (ICAR RC NEH), Imphal.
Joint Director, ICAR NEH Dr Meghachandra Singh, OIC, NABARD Manipur PN Praveen Kumar, Chetan Vij, Assistant Director, ASSOCHAM and Sanajouba Singh and Secretary General, All Manipur Food Processors Association also attended the conference among others.