Siliguri, July 22: After introducing ATM services and providing easy loans to farmers in north Bengal, United Bank of India (UBI) is set to give a fillip to the food processing sector.

“Food processing has enormous prospects in north Bengal and we will welcome any one who is interested in setting up a food-processing unit here. In north Bengal, a lot of opportunities are wasted. Despite a good market, pineapples and tomatoes lie rotting in the sun since there are no food processing units. We are now set to promote such units. We have already received around three proposals and are considering them,” said Parkash Singh, the chairman and managing director of UBI.

The CMD was here to hand over easy loan amounts to self-help groups, farmers, and businessmen at a credit awareness-cum-delivery meet organised here today. Loans to the tune of Rs 28.43 crore were disbursed to 983 persons and groups.

Over Rs 10 crore of the sanctioned loans went to farmers. The bank was acting on a central government directive.