Viewpoint

Enterprises set up to process agricultural materials into foods sought by consumers can bring a range of benefits They help meet the growing and changing food demands of urban consumers They may reduce expenditure of scarce foreign exchange on imports for consumption They provide an incentive to domestic agriculture to expand and intensify its output Where they provide production guidance and necessary credit inputs, reducing risks by ensuring a specific market under contract, they can be a strategic instrument for the introduction of new agricultural technology Both by their direct contribution to the raising of famers' incomes, and the additional employment they provide in agriculture, the processing operation, and associated services, they are a potent force for rural development.