Value addition, maintaining quality and good advertisement through social media are needed for boosting sales of any local-made food products, state Science and Technology Minister Th Biswajit said Friday.
Biswajit was speaking at a 10-day ‘Entrepreneurship Development Training Programme for Women on Preparation of Pickles and other Allied Products’. It was jointly organised by the Directorate of Science and Technology and Manipur Science and Technology Council (MASTEC) at MASTEC Training Hall in Imphal West.
With the advancement of information and technology, entrepreneurs need no shops for establishment of their business as every sale can be done through e-commerce, he said.
The biggest challenge facing today's society is socio-economic deprivation due to lack of job opportunities, he said, adding Prime Minister Modi is giving special preference in skill development programmes and training to address the issue.
The more the entrepreneurs, the more the number of unemployment will be reduced, he said, adding that the training programme, which concluded on Friday is a door to entrepreneurship.
The minister also said that exports of food products from Myanmar have decreased in the past few years due to the increase of local-made food products, which indicates the state’s progress in the field of entrepreneurship,
However, the use of single-use plastics and plastic bottles under 1 liter while packaging food products are still prevalent despite the ban, he pointed out.
He appealed to the entrepreneurs to replace plastic bottles with glass and stop using single-use plastic items to protect and preserve the environment.
On learning that more than 50 per cent of the applicants of the training programme are rejected due to the unavailability of training spaces, he instructed the officials to organise a similar training programme for those rejected applicants.
“Everyone has the right to learn and the government is ready to extend support,” he added.
The minister also made some announcements for the development of the Science and Technology department of Manipur.
He informed that the government is planning to introduce local tin fish products in the market, introduce a certificate course training programme on skill development and establishment of a bakery unit at MASTEC.
As many as 30 individuals took part in the 10 training programmes for which seven days were dedicated to the practical sessions.
The trainees were able to produce as many as 26 items which include four types of candy, nine types of pickles, four types squash and RTS, four types of sauce and chutney, three types of soya processing products, one jam and one bakery item.
All the trainees were given a certificate each and the permission to use the common facilities centre of MASTEC whenever they require in the future.
The function was also attended by director of Science and Technology Homila Hongrei and director of MASTEC L Minaketan among others.
