On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel, attended the Mega Food Park in Mandya district, Karnataka, and spoke with farmers in regard to the importance of food processing and how they can make the best use of the facilities to increase their income.
According to the Minister, the food processing units that will be built in mega food parks would primarily help farmers whose produce, including fruits and vegetables, will be obtained by the units, allowing them to become monetarily self-sufficient.
Patel urged those responsible for the operation of massive food parks to be proactive, saying they must work to find a worldwide market for the farmers' produce. Farmers will be more empowered if they have access to markets, and parks may play a key role in this, he noted.
The event was attended by Assistant Commissioner Shivananda Murthy, Tahsildar M.V. Roopa, Food Park authorities, and others.
Cold Storage Facilities
Cold storage facilities are necessary for perishable products such as fruits and flowers in order to maintain their freshness and make marketing easier for farmers. The food processing machines are crucial in ensuring that the farmers benefit from the crops they grow on their farms.
The Karnataka government is also considering establishing small food parks in order to make farming more sustainable.
Patil's Visit to the KRS Reservoir
Patil also paid a visit to the KRS reservoir, inspecting phase 1 and phase 2 of dam restoration work. He spoke with the dam engineers about the project.
Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports K.C. Narayana Gowda, MLA S.A. Ramdas, Deputy Commissioner S. Aswathi, Managing Director of Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Jayaprakash, Chief Engineer Vijayakumar, and other officials accompanied the Minister.
