Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan emphasized the urgent need to transition India's agricultural sector from bulk output toward value-added production during the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026. He noted that expanding food processing is essential for cutting down agricultural waste, raising farmers' earnings, and creating new job opportunities.
Highlighting the untapped potential of the industry, Paswan expressed a vision to place Indian food items on dining tables worldwide. He encouraged industry stakeholders to collaborate closely with Farmer Producer Organisations and structured farming networks to develop robust processing and logistics capabilities directly within rural areas.
Complementing these national efforts, a long-standing collaboration between India and Israel spanning over three decades has brought advanced farming solutions to Indian fields through a network of 35 centres of excellence. This partnership focuses on transitioning growers toward high-value cash crops while tackling critical efficiency and preservation challenges.
Among the modern innovations being introduced are N-Drip, an innovative gravity-fed irrigation system that operates entirely without electricity, and NOF, an environmentally friendly post-harvest preservation method. Additionally, the joint initiative incorporates agrivoltaics, a dual-use approach that combines solar energy generation with traditional crop cultivation to maximize land utility and supplement agricultural incomes.