The agro industry is regarded as an extended arm of agriculture. The development of the agro industry can help stabilize and make agriculture more lucrative and create employment opportunities both at the production and marketing stages. The broad-based development of the agro-products industry will improve both the social and physical infrastructure of India. Since it would cause diversification and commercialization of agriculture, it will thus enhance the incomes of farmers and create food surpluses.
The agro-industry mainly comprises of the post-harvest activities of processing and preserving agricultural products for intermediate or final consumption. It is a well-recognized fact across the world, particularly in the context of industrial development that the importance of agro-industries is relative to agriculture increases as economies develop. It should be emphasized that 'food' is not just produce. Food also encompasses a wide variety of processed products. It is in this sense that the agro-industry is an important and vital part of the manufacturing sector in developing countries and the means for building industrial capacities.
The agro industry helps in processing agricultural products such as field crops, tree crops, livestock and fisheries and converting them to edible and other usable forms. The private sector is yet to actualize the full potential of the agro industry. The global market is mammoth for sugar, coffee, tea and processed foods such as sauce, jelly, honey, etc. The market for processed meat, spices and fruits is equally gigantic. Only with mass production coupled with modern technology and intensive marketing can the domestic market as well as the export market be exploited to the fullest extent.
