Shillong, Dec. 15: Meghalaya governor V. Shanmuganathan today asked the government, industries and scientists to formulate polices to attract the youth towards agriculture and make a career in that field.

The governor highlighted this at a conference on Linking Prospective Food Entrepreneurs with Government Schemes and Markets, organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries of India (Assocham) in collaboration with the ministry of food and processing industries and ICAR Research Centre for North Eastern Hill Region at Umiam, in Ri-Bhoi district.

Inaugurating the conference, Shanmuganathan said unemployment was very high in Meghalaya and agriculture and food processing could play a vital role in the development of the state.

He urged the people to make better and efficient utilisation of natural resources.

"The potential for agro-based food processing industries in Meghalaya is very high," he said.

He highlighted the state's potential in horticultural crops like pineapple orange, lemon, non-traditional crops like tea, cashewnut, oilseeds, tomato, mushroom, wheat and others.

Shanmuganathan said there was enough potential for setting up a starch-based processing unit in the state.

He lauded the association and the ministry of food processing industries, for addressing the issue of linking farmers with markets.

The senior director of the association, Om S. Tyagi, said the food processing industry had made some significant progress in the northeastern region like agro and horticulture processing, processing of plantation crops and animal husbandry.

Meat processing industries have been declared as a potential area in the promotion of industrial activities in Meghalaya, he added.

ICAR director S.V. Ngachan said the government was optimising farming system for doubling farmer income. He added that ICAR, through its different programmes, encouraged entrepreneurship among farmers of the state.

Meghalaya Co-operative Apex Bank managing director Osmand E.J. Nongbri discussed various financial schemes funded by the bank to help farmers and rural youth to become successful agri entrepreneurs.