With India becoming a food surplus country, the Indian farmer needs affordable machinery and technologies to expand production and come up with value-added products with export potential, said Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, at the 7th International Exhibition and Conference EIMA Agrimach India 2022.
Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, accompanied by Shri Murugesh R Nirani, Minister of Large and Medium Industries, and Shri Muniratna, Minister for Horticulture and Planning & Statistics, Government of Karnataka, inaugurated the three-day conference cum exhibition in Benguluru yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, MoS Karandlaje encouraged equipment manufacturers and technology developers to manufacture food processing machinery to check the rampant wastage of agriculture and horticulture produce in the absence of value addition. She said that instead of wasting, the food could be exported to nations with limited food production avenues. Sushri Karandlaje said, “what the country needs now is affordable and quality food processing, agri-marketing and agri-export avenues.” She also noted that with 2023 being the ‘International Year Of Millets’, India could step up exports as the country is among the leading producers of millets.
In his address, Shri Murugesh R Nirani said that increased efforts were needed for technology improvement, adoption, and exports. In addition, the minister encouraged foreign industry participants to introduce affordable mechanised farming, given the small land holdings in the state.
EIMA Agrimach India 2022, running in its 7th edition, is being organised for the first time in Bengaluru. The event has registered participants from more than 40 countries. Over three days, more than 10,000 farmers, industry participants, foreign delegates, investors, agriculture researchers, and students would visit the exhibition and conference.