Agriculture Sector to Be Strongly Linked with Processing Industries: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Nagpur, Dec 2025 : For the development of the agriculture sector, farmers’ capacity building will be undertaken and the sector will be strongly linked with food processing industries and other allied sectors. For this purpose, an appropriate policy will be formulated and the required funds will be provided by the State Government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here today.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a Food Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the Centre Point Hotel here on the theme “Transforming Agriculture into Agri-Industry for a Future-Ready Maharashtra: Value Addition, Innovation and Investment.”

Minister of State for Agriculture Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Vikaschandra Rastogi, Industries Department Secretary Dr. P. Anbalagan, CII President Burjis Godrej, among others, were present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said climate change–induced transformations in agriculture pose a major challenge before the sector. The State Government is making all possible efforts to implement appropriate measures to address these challenges. The government is working towards value addition in agriculture so that farmers receive maximum benefits. At the same time, efforts are underway to link the agriculture sector with food processing industries, which has resulted in better remuneration for farmers. Steps are also being taken to introduce processing practices in other agriculture-related sectors and to build a suitable ecosystem.

With the assistance of the World Bank, the ambitious ‘SMART’ and ‘MAGNET’ projects are being implemented in the State. Maharashtra, which has the highest number of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in the country, is strengthening its agriculture sector by extending support to these projects through various Central and State schemes. Efforts are also being made to use artificial intelligence for the development of agriculture. In this context, an Agriculture Hackathon was organised in Pune last year, where innovative solutions by various startups to address challenges in the farming sector were presented, he said.

The State Government is also considering involving the private sector to support capacity building and financing in agriculture. Work is underway to strengthen the sector by enhancing farmers’ capabilities and creating strong linkages with food processing and other allied industries. A suitable policy will be prepared, and the required funds will be made available for this purpose. The Chief Minister further said that the State Government will support the issues and ideas that emerge from this conference for the development of the agriculture sector in Maharashtra.

Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Vikaschandra Rastogi guided the gathering, while Industries Department Secretary Dr. P. Anbalagan made a presentation on “Maharashtra: The Economic Engine Powering Viksit Bharat 2047.” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also released an information booklet of the Agriculture Department. CII President Burjis Godrej delivered the welcome address, and Firoz Khambata from the organisation proposed the vote of thanks.