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TN setting up food processing units in 10 districts including Trichy

 Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday said the state is in the process of setting up food processing units in 10 districts with a budget of Rs 398.75 crore.
Image result for food processingSpeaking at the Food Pro exhibition of the CII here, he said projects and programmes on post-harvest supply chain and cold storage facilities were also being set up.
"The state has always considered food processing as a priority sector. It creates jobs in the rural areas. Our former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had started the second green revolution in the state and there are farmer- friendly policies in the state. 40% of the working population is dependent on agriculture, even if the sector contributes less than 10% to the GDP of the state," he said.


Panneerselvam said 35% of agricultural produce was lost due to wastage and attention should be paid to reduce the same and increase the shelf life of produce.
"Improvements in storage, processing post-harvest are being worked on. In six districts, including Erode, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Theni, Thiruvannamalai and Trichy, integrated cold chain infrastructure is being created to reduce wastage of bananas," he said.
Speaking at the event, agricultural production commissioner and principal secretary to the government Gagandeep Singh Bedi emphasised on the importance the state gives to food processing.
"We have tied up with Niti Aayog for a pilot project in food processing in 10 districts and we expect them to be up and running in the next one and half years," he added.

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