With completion of 4-lane highway from Dimapur to Kohima and beyond, food processing units in Nagaland in for great times: M K Mero

Nagaland sends proposal to Centre for mini food park with 90% subsidy from Centre : Additional Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department

Commissioner and Secretary, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Nagaland, Mr. M K Mero on Friday forecast that by 2020 the cold chain facilities across the Nagaland will have great prospects with completion of 4-lane national highway starting off from Dimapur towards Kohima and beyond as also by then the State would have lot of power.

Inaugurating Outreach Awareness Programme on Cold Chain under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Mr. Mero regretted that with very poor road connectivity and poorer power supplies, the state has not been able to process its horticulture produce such as banana, papayas, pineapple, chilly, ginger and host of other which result in their 45% post harvest losses.

On account of this, the farmers of the State of Nagaland stay put economically exploited and highly under utilized and as soon as the new infrastructure will come up in next few years, the food processing potential of the state will multiply and result into win-win situation both for farmers and end consumers, he said.

“By 2020, it is expected that the work on 4-land road connectivity will have been completed as also the power situation improved, Nagaland expects host of food processing units coming on both sides of the new highway which will transform its horticulture sector that is currently languishing on account of poor facilities”, he added.

Additional Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Nagaland, Mr. L Houchalie Viya, earlier speaking to the members of the PHD Chamber, however, informed that the government of Nagaland has forwarded a proposal to the central Ministry of Food Processing Industries that it cannot set up mega food parks in the state because of certain constraints.

On the contrary, the State has asked the Centre to come out with mini food parks schemes as these would be suitable for smaller states such as Nagaland.  In the proposal, already sent to the government, it has urged the Union Government to create 90% of central subsidy element for the State of Nagaland whereas it will contribute 10% of the total cost of the mini food parks, which should come up with an investment of Rs.20 to Rs.25 crores, said the Additional Secretary, he further explained that in mini food parks, 4-5 processing units should be made permissible as against 30 such processing units that are necessary in the mega food parks.

According to him, the Centre is inclined to support this initiative of the state because it will suit the requirements of the smaller state and amount to benefiting its farmers, their produce and even the end consumers.

The Outreach Awareness Programme on Cold Chain was presided over by Director, PHD Chamber, Dr. Ranjeet Mehta in which Director, Department of Horticulture, Nagaland, Mr. N Amos and Deputy Director, MSME, Nagaland, Mr. Tali Longthar also participated among others.