Shillong, April 10: Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan on Friday underscored the critical role of the food processing sector in reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing value addition in agricultural produce.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee, followed by the NIFTEM Council Meeting at Courtyard by Marriott Shillong, the minister highlighted key challenges facing the sector, including infrastructure gaps, limited access to finance, and technological constraints.

Paswan stressed the importance of stronger inter-ministerial coordination to improve ease of doing business in the sector. He also lauded ongoing government initiatives such as GST rationalisation, streamlining of food safety regulations, and convergence of efforts across departments.

The meetings were attended by senior officials of the ministry, including Secretary Avinash Joshi and Joint Secretary Devesh Deval, along with Members of Parliament and other stakeholders.

During the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting, participants conducted a comprehensive review of the food processing sector, focusing on ongoing reforms and policy initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

A detailed presentation outlined both implemented and proposed reforms, followed by discussions and suggestions from committee members aimed at strengthening the sector’s outreach and impact.

The subsequent NIFTEM Council meeting deliberated on key institutional and policy matters related to capacity building, research, and the overall strengthening of the food processing ecosystem in the country.

Members also explored ways to align institutional frameworks with evolving industry requirements and emerging opportunities in the sector.