Union Food Processing Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras has suggested establishing a food processing institute in the state called the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and has requested land from the state industries department.
Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, state industries minister, welcomed the initiative and stated that all necessary efforts will be made to create NIFTEM in Bihar. This was discussed recently during a meeting between the two ministries in New Delhi. It will be the state’s second NIFTEM plant, following the first, which opened in Sonipat, Haryana, in 2012.
Apart from that, it was determined that a high-level conference between the Union Ministry of Food Processing and the State Industries Department would be convened shortly in Patna, as well as a food processing conclave.
Two ministers also discussed the establishment of agro processing clusters in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
“Farmers in Bihar might profit from the union food processing ministry’s agro processing clusters plan, known as PMKSY. The installation of food processing plants would also result in a big number of job possibilities “Shahnawaz said.
The industry minister stated that 10 acres of land will be required for the establishment of agro processing clusters, with the goal of establishing at least five food processing facilities costing Rs. 25 crores or more. “The agro processing cluster project will bring wealth to the homes of the country’s farmers and offer job opportunities for the state’s young,” he stated.
According to the proposal, the state government and the Centre would jointly provide all infrastructure such as roads, water, power, drainage, warehousing, cold storage, tetra pack, sorting, and grading in each agro processing cluster.