Perambalur MP K.N. Arun Nehru has urged Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan to establish a food processing industry in Perambalur district since it was a top producer of small onions and maize in Tamil Nadu.
Setting up a food processing industry would not only enhance socio-economic status of farmers but also reduce their post-harvest losses, Mr. Arun Nehru said in a memorandum which he handed over to the Union Minister in New Delhi recently.
Mr. Arun Nehru said Perambalur was predominantly an agrarian district. However, it faced several challenges related to 16% to 35% post harvest losses because of inadequate storage and curing facilities for crops such as maize and small onions. The district was a major producer of maize, onion, cotton, paddy, turmeric, chilies, tomato, brinjal, lime, groundnut, sunflower, and sesame. Farmers often sold their produce to middlemen and traders at low prices.
Therefore, establishing a food processing industry would not only benefit farmers but also contribute to the overall economic development of the district, he said in his memorandum.
