Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio inaugurated four food processing and incubation centres on Monday to bolster the rural economy and create jobs for the youth. Funded by the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme, these facilities aim to improve market access for local farmers and encourage entrepreneurial ventures across the state.
The Chief Minister launched a Food Processing Centre in Toluvi, Dimapur, while virtually opening three additional sites. These include an incubation centre at the Industrial Growth Centre in Ganeshnagar, a food processing incubation centre in Tuensang, and a modern aggregation centre located in Longnak, Mokokchung. Rio stated that small-scale industries provide significant potential for regional development, adding that these sites align with national goals. He noted, "The newly established centres align with the Centre's vision of building a Viksit Bharat and have the potential to become catalysts for rural entrepreneurship and value addition."
Government officials plan to expand this model to every district to help local communities identify suitable crops and increase income. Hekani Jakhalu, the Advisor for Industries and Commerce, described these initial sites as pilot projects. She added that the state aims to establish independent processing units in every district by 2028, effectively bridging the gap between agriculture and manufacturing.
To ensure long-term success, Achumbemo Kikon, the Advisor for Food Processing, outlined a mission focused on six pillars: production, processing, preservation, packaging, pricing, and patenting. He urged farmers and local stakeholders to collaborate closely to ensure the infrastructure remains backed by consistent agricultural output.
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