Agro-processing industries suffer from poor infrastructure: Meitei

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Feb 16: The adviser of the North Eastern Council (Horticulture) M Iboyamia Meitei said the envisaged promotion of agro-processing industries in the North eastern region suffers from poor infrastructure, market intelligence, strategies to further up the potentials.

Meitei was speaking as the guest of honour at the tiol Semir on “Emerging opportunities in food processing and Foreign Direct Investment in Food retail” held at Shillong on Thursday. “Going by the vision 2020 document that listed our region as production potential in agro based and allied sectors, I don’t know how long can we head towards when 2020 is knocking in our doors,” virtually stated the NEC functiory while pointing out at the constraints that the seven sister states has been facing in all spheres under the vision document. He said that there is no agro based processing units in the region that is plagued with communication problems, even as he pointed out at the absence of a regulated markets that could have further the cause of the farmers.

“How will we push ahead when the constraints due to lack of regulated markets whatsoever tilted the scales of demand and supply,” he said in the workshop. Meitei spoke about connectivity and marketing deficiencies besides stressing that the available horticultural products of the North eastern region that should be at par with the competition countries.

“We have developed some kinds of products and we should brand them to meet the competitive world,” the NEC Advisor said in his speech that determines the weaknesses. Metei further stated there are more challenges than opportunities in realizing the NE Vision 2020. Moreover, he asserted that the vision document needs to fasten its seat belt to foster of what it is desired.

The tiol semir organized by NERAMAC witnessed a number of participants from the region. Meghalaya Additiol Chief Secretary PW Ingti in his iugural address said the foreign direct investment is expected to boost the state in three areas-infrastructure, productivity and technology. He made references to the tural products of the state that could have been value added that he added that the government of Meghalaya is looking at the food processing units as sources of employment.