Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has directed senior officials of the Food Processing Department to intensify efforts to train young people and farmers in modern food processing technologies, with the aim of promoting self-employment, entrepreneurship and rural economic growth across the state.
Emphasising the sector’s potential to generate employment and enhance farmers’ incomes, Maurya said food processing is a key driver of value addition in agriculture and an important pillar of Uttar Pradesh’s economic development. He instructed officials to ensure that all training programmes are conducted with high standards of quality, transparency and timely implementation.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the department is already imparting training through Government Food Science Training Centres and Community Fruit Preservation and Training Centres established across various districts of the state. He directed officials to complete all programmes according to prescribed targets and timelines while ensuring that information about these opportunities reaches aspiring youth, women and farmers on a wider scale so that maximum beneficiaries can participate.
Maurya stressed that the training initiatives should go beyond formal classroom sessions and provide practical, industry-oriented knowledge using modern food processing techniques. He also called for regular inspections and continuous monitoring to maintain the quality of training. In addition, he instructed officials to prepare an effective roadmap to connect trained candidates with self-employment opportunities, enterprise development and government support schemes.
Highlighting the long-term benefits of skill development, Maurya said trained youth and farmers would be able to establish their own food processing units, significantly increase their incomes and take advantage of government subsidies, financial assistance and other incentives available under various schemes. He noted that expanding food processing enterprises would create new employment opportunities in rural areas while enhancing the value of agricultural produce.
The Food Processing Department has issued directions to principals of Government Food Science Training Centres located in Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly, Kanpur, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur, as well as food processing officers in Mirzapur, Devipatan, Basti, Azamgarh, Saharanpur and Chitrakoot Dham, and the Fruit Preservation Officer in Lucknow, to complete training programmes within the prescribed schedule and maintain high standards of instruction.
The department currently offers one-year diploma courses in Bakery and Confectionery and Cookery, alongside one-month part-time certificate programmes in the same disciplines. In addition, 15-day food processing training programmes are conducted at Government Community Fruit Preservation and Training Centres operating at divisional and district levels to equip a larger number of youth and farmers with practical skills.
Maurya expressed confidence that creating a skilled workforce in food processing would encourage the establishment of more micro, small and medium food processing enterprises across Uttar Pradesh. He said the initiative would help farmers secure better returns for their produce, generate sustainable livelihoods in rural areas and accelerate the state’s vision of building an Atmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh while contributing to the national goal of a Viksit Bharat.
