Date:11/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/11/stories/2005081102811900.htm

Back Bengal wants to make it big in agri-biz

Our Bureau

The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, with participants at a meet organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in Kolkata on Wednesday. Mr. Bushan Raina, Deputy Chairman and Mr Ravi Poddar, Chairman, CII (eastern region), are also seen. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Kolkata , Aug. 10

AFTER taking strides in the realm of agriculture — thanks largely to the reforms that have been undertaken in the agricultural sector in the State — West Bengal is hopeful of making it big in the agri-business arena in the years ahead.

Plans are being made to set up a mega food park at Dankuni near here with an assistance of up to Rs 100 crore from the Government of India. The State Government would also facilitate the setting up of food processing units across the State.

Stating this while addressing the "Agro East 2005 — Powering Agri-Business & Rural Development" conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (Eastern Region) here on Wednesday, the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said that initial discussions on the proposed mega food park has been held recently with the Union Minister for Food Processing, Mr Subodh Kant Sahai.

Food parks are also proposed to be set up in Haldia, Durgapur and Siliguri. Already, as part of an Indo-French collaborative venture, a food park was proposed to be set up at Jangipur at an estimated investment of Rs 380 crore. Mr Bhattacharjee said that West Bengal has six climatic zones and produced 112 lakh tonnes of vegetables last year. However, owing to lack of cold storage facilities, about 8-10 per cent of the vegetables produced perished. In this context, he urged the participation of the private sector in setting up cold storage chains across the State, especially around the proposed food parks. The State Government would focus on attracting a "cluster of investors", who would invest in and around the proposed food parks, he said.

According to him, the State has no fertiliser factory that is operational, despite the fact that it was India's largest consumer of fertilisers. He urged the members of the CII to "give a serious thought to whether we should continue to import fertilisers from outside the State". The private sector could also facilitate the setting up of a "market mechanism and cold chains" so that fruits and vegetables produced in the State are not wasted and farmers are able to get a remunerative price for their produce.

On the state of affairs of the jute industry in the State, Mr Bhattacharjee underscored the imperatives for the industry to focus on production of diversified jute goods. "West Bengal is the largest producer of raw jute and jute goods. Fifty-nine out of the 69 jute mills in India are located in West Bengal. However, most of them confine their production to jute bags. Time has come for them to manufacture diversified jute goods. Otherwise they cannot survive," he said.