Govt making efforts to boost food processing sector's growth: Paswan

New Delhi: Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday said the government is making efforts to boost growth in food processing sector as it plays an important role in enhancing farmers' income and creating employment opportunities.

Inaugurating the third edition of World Food India 2024, Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan assured that the government will take more steps to further grow this important sector, tackle challenges including misleading ads and tax rates, and ensure ease of doing business.

The event to be held during September 19-22 will see participation from over 90 countries.

"India comes with an opportunity where we can collaborate together. Being an agro based country, where the farmers are the backbone in terms of production, there's an abundance. How to convert this abundance into opportunity? Is what we are targeting, is what we are aiming towards," he said.

Paswan said the World Food India event provides opportunities to collaborate with each other and share ideas as well as new technologies.

"... we are here with an open mind to collaborate, to take this industry to a level which provides opportunities for everyone to eradicate the hunger, to eradicate the misleading concepts that has been associated with this industry," Paswan said.

The minister also spoke about the need to reduce wastage by increasing the food processing level.

He announced setting up of 50 irradiation centres and 100 food testing labs.

Speaking at the event, Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has given a lot of emphasis on food processing sector.

He spoke on the importance of branding and packaging as well as ensuing quality to promote food processing sector and make India a food basket of the World.

Stating that this sector has immense potential for growth, Joshi exhorted young generation to become entrepreneurs in food processing and be job provider.

The World Food India event promises to be a major convergence of innovation, technology, and sustainability in the food processing sector.

The event will host over 40 knowledge sessions, including thematic discussions, state and country-specific conferences.

Further, industry-led panel discussions with over 100 CXOs of the global agri-food companies will also be held.