<span style="color: #222222;">Union Minister Pashupathi Nath paras at networking dinner on the sidelines of Gulffood addressed the concerns regarding food security for the global population.</span> In his Keynote address he mentioned that we all know a well-developed food processing sector with high level of processing and value addition helps in reducing wastage, improves shelf life, provides nutritional benefits, boosts employment and Gives better returns. India is one of the fastest-growing economies with many investment opportunities, especially in the agro-food processing sector. <br />''<br />''He added, India is the largest producer of milk, millets and livestock and second largest in total food production. 'In recent years, this sector has also seen high growth and high profits, thus, increasing its contribution to the world food trade every year.<br />''<br />''A population base of over 1.3 billion with rising disposable income, rising spending on food and consumer goods and a booming food retail market, acceptance of diverse global cuisines have made India a global hub for food processing as well as food supply.<br />''<br />''The Government of India is aware of the huge potential of this sector and is laying great emphasis on the holistic development of all the sub- segments in the entire value chain from farm gate to retail outlet. Ministry of Food Processing Industry  is conscious of the many opportunities available in this sector and is committed to further its development with full potential.<br />''<br />''The schemes Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS) Modernization with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet, are greatly value adding the supply chain. Private sector participation is increasing in many areas of the agri- food value chain.<br />''<br />''However, for infrastructure development, more investment is required in sourcing raw materials and creating forward'backward linkages. On the one hand, there are opportunities in post-harvest management, such as primary processing and storage, preservation infrastructure, cold chain and refrigerated transport. On the other hand, there is immense potential for food processing and value addition, especially in areas such as organic and nutritious foods.<br />''<br />'' As a result of increasing urbanization, and a growing middle class, the demand for nutritious, processed food continues to grow. It is also an ideal time to think about global wellness. There are also solutions for nutritional security in food processing. Foods related to Ayurveda and foods that promote good health should be adopted worldwide. Today we see that the world has started adopting the food we have given up. barley, jowar, ragi and Millets are one of the many grains that were once a part of our diet, but have slowly disappeared from our plate. But there has been a renewed focus on this nutritious food and we are seeing tremendous demand from all over the world.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The grain which no one was ready to eat is now being sold at high prices. Hence, it is time to replenish this treasure trove of nutrition. The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of the Millet. Our Ministry is working to revolutionize millet processing in the country. India's Union Budget 2023-24 outlines various initiatives to encourage agriculture and food processing sector.</span><br />