Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated the government’s commitment to boosting India’s domestic food processing sector, calling it essential for national security, rural development, and economic resilience. Responding to a post by the Office of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on X, the Prime Minister said that strengthening food processing capacities across the country must be viewed as a strategic priority. “The Minister underscores how initiatives aligned with the ‘One District, One Product’ vision are empowering farmers, generating local jobs, and promoting rural self-reliance. Have a read!” he wrote.
Finance Minister Sitharaman, in her detailed article, described how India’s agro-processing revolution is transforming farmers in arid parts of Karnataka into entrepreneurs and turning several regions into vibrant manufacturing hubs. Recalling her recent visit to Karnataka, Sitharaman called it a reminder of the nation’s immense agricultural and economic potential, adding that, in an increasingly protectionist global climate, bolstering India’s domestic food processing industry is no longer just an economic goal but a national security imperative.
She emphasised that planning for Karnataka’s aspirational districts, including Yadgir and Raichur, must account for sharp local disparities. The Government of India’s Aspirational Block Programme, she said, addresses these challenges by targeting development not only at the district level but also across sub-district and block levels. To empower farmers directly, Sitharaman used her MPLADS funds to bring agro-processing infrastructure closer to their communities, helping them shift from raw produce to value-added products.
Under the initiative, an umbrella brand named Kalyana Sampada (Wealth of Kalyana) was launched, encouraging each district to identify agricultural products that could be processed and marketed more profitably. The programme ties into Prime Minister Modi’s “One District, One Product” vision—an agricultural extension of the Make in India initiative—where farmer producer companies (FPCs) supported by NABARD manage local food processing and training units.
In Koppal district, where per capita income remains 15 per cent below the national average, a new multi-fruit processing unit has been established. The region, which cultivates thousands of hectares of mango, papaya, guava, and tomato, previously lacked processing infrastructure. The new facility, the first of its kind in the district, now converts these crops into value-added products such as mango juice, guava nectar, dry mango powder, tomato puree, and ginger powder. Despite its success, the unit currently processes only about 2 per cent of the district’s total fruit output, indicating vast potential for future expansion.
In Raichur, another aspirational district known for its significant pulse production, a new processing facility has been set up to convert the area’s abundant red gram and Bengal gram into arhar dal, chana dal, and ready-to-make chilla mixes. The unit handles around 1 per cent of the district’s total output, and Sitharaman noted that at least 50 such units would be required to process half of Raichur’s total production. She said this initiative serves as a model for other farmer producer organisations and rural entrepreneurs to replicate.
By linking local enterprise with national economic priorities, both the Prime Minister and Finance Minister underlined that strengthening India’s food processing ecosystem is key to ensuring farmer prosperity, reducing wastage, and building a more self-reliant rural economy—one that directly contributes to the country’s long-term security and stability.