By IANS
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh is poised for a big leap in agri business if the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) involving projects worth billions of rupees, signed during a recently concluded agri-business meet, are any indication.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s assurance to investors that they will not face bureaucratic delay has started yielding results.
“The state signed as many as 20 MoUs involving a total investment Rs. 62 billion for setting up various agro based industries,” Agriculture Principal Secretary Parvesh Sharma said.
The MoUs were signed between the investors and various undertakings of the state government in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the first agri-business meet organised in the state to encourage agriculture and related activities.
“The understandings reached on the occasion pertain to Ratanjot farming, development of barren land, establishment of sugar factories, setting up of food processing units, agriculture research, organic food processing, seed production and potato cultivation and its processing,” said Sharma.
The MoUs signed on the occasion include the one between the Madhya Pradesh Agro Industries Corporation and the Mumbai based Ruchi Soya Industries Limited. It involves an investment of Rs. 10 billion. An agreement with the New Delhi based Mission Bio-Fuels India Private Limited for Jatropha plantation involves an investement of Rs. 5 billion.
Two MoUs of Rs. 4 billion each were signed for animal rearing and fat cheese plant by the New Delhi based Hind Agro Industries Limited and Daisy Agrotech respectively. MoUs involving investment between Rs. 2 million and Rs. 10 billion were also signed in various fields related to agriculture.
As many as 150 representatives of renowned industrial houses like Birla group, Adani group, Bharti Mittal group, Bikano group, Reliance Fresh, Hindustan agro, ITC and others participated in the meet.
“The success of the agri-business meet is the direct result of the chief minister’s assurance to investors that red tapism will not be allowed to come in the way of investments and the government would provide all possible help for the establishment of various industries in the state,” said Sharma.
“The chief minister informed the agri-business meet participants about the priorities, policies and the incentives being offered by the state government in agriculture sector in the state,” said official sources.
Chouhan also announced the setting up of a forum to establish regular dialogue between farmers and entrepreneurs so that the former get reasonable prices for their agriculture produce.
“Effective measures would be taken to make agriculture a highly profitable occupation to ensure that farmers enjoy the fruits of development in the farm sector,” Chouhan said.