Value addition is the prerequisite for agricultural success, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday while addressing the CII WR National Food Processing Summit 2025 held here in the city. Fadnavis asserted that farmer benefits are directly correlated with the value of their agriculture produce. The Chief Minister highlighted the sugarcane sector, where a “complete circular economy’ is in operation, ensuring that maximum value extraction makes the crop more sustainable and profitable.

 

However, he said that where this strategic processing approach is absent, farmers are left struggling in a cycle of hardship.Fadnavis also said that agriculture must evolve beyond production to integrated agri-business systems that create value, employment and prosperity for rural and semi-urban Maharashtra. He noted that the summit provided a critical platform where agriculture, industry and innovation converge to unlock the next phase of food processing growth. The inaugural session was attended by Minister of State for Agriculture

 

Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, Burjis Godrej, Chairman, CII WR Sub-Committee on Agri & Food and Executive Director, Godrej Agrovet; Piruz Khambatta, Chairman, Rasna Ltd; Dr P Anbalagan, Secretary, Industries, Government of Maharashtra; Dr Ramaswami N, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & Fisheries; and Dr Kishore Malviya, Past Chairman, CII Vidarbha Zonal Council and Director,

 

SMS Envocare Ltd. In his address, Ashish Jaiswal noted that while Government funds should ideally be directed toward long-term capital investments, a significant portion is currently utilised for managing natural calamities. The CII WR National Food Processing Summit 2025, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region, concluded successfully with a strong call to transform agriculture into a technology-driven, value-added and future-ready agri-business ecosystem.