Food processing key to double farmers’ income: Principal Secy Chiranjeevi Chowdary

Tirupati: Marketing Finance and Food processing principal secretary Chiranjeevi Chowdary, who attended as the chief guest at the training programme for farmers held on the second day of Organic Mela here on Saturday, stressed on the importance of farmers themselves taking up food processing for value addition to their produce and to make agriculture a profitable avenue.

He along with Saptagiri Grameena Bank director Venkat Nath visited various stalls and interacted with farmers and entrepreneurs.

Instead of depending on others for food processing, the farmers should avail training on food processing, he said and added the government was offering incentives under various schemes to encourage farmers to take up food processing. They can organise groups for successfully running food processing units, for which they will get 35 percent subsidy. Various banks are also ready to provide them the financial support required for setting up food processing units.

The farmers can get the details on setting up food processing units from the government marketing department, he averred.

In the exhibition, Vijayawada-based Shanvika Organic Pvt Ltd Managing Director G Chakravarthy, who set up a stall in the mela, also provided basic information on food processing and explained the techniques for cleaning food grains free of dust and chaff for increasing quality and the sale at a higher price.

He also presented a wide range of ready-to-eat food items including millet pongal, Instant Bisi Bele Bath, millet payasam, millet sweets and snacks. “These products will be more useful for the busy life professionals as it they take a few minutes to make the delicious food items ready,” he explained. We are offering more than 120 products at very competitive prices and delivered at doorstep through courier and also accepting orders through our own website anywhere in India, he said.

Meanwhile, the mela on the second day, attracted more crowds than the first day and the sale was also brisk for most of the stalls.