PM Modi backs food processing push for rural growth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the expansion of food processing as essential to national security and rural economic growth on Monday. He responded to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s article on how agricultural programs are transforming farmers into business operators through district-level manufacturing facilities.
The government established processing centers in Karnataka’s Koppal and Raichur districts under the One District One Product initiative. Koppal received a fruit processing plant converting mangoes, papayas and tomatoes into juices and powders. The facility handles 2 percent of district production with capacity for significant expansion.
Raichur’s pulse processing unit transforms red gram and Bengal gram into packaged products. The district produces 80,000 metric tons of red gram and 34,000 metric tons of Bengal gram annually. Officials estimate 50 similar units could process half the regional pulse harvest.
Farmer producer companies selected by NABARD operate the training and processing facilities. The finance minister used parliamentary development funds to bring agricultural processing capabilities to remote farming communities across aspirational districts.
