17 New Mega Food Parks Sanctioned

To give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage and loss at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Food Mega Food Parks Scheme in the country since the year 2008. Financial Assistance upto Rs. 50.00 Crore is provided for setting up Mega Food Parks for creation of modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market. A Mega Food Park located in the area of a minimum of 50 acres work in a cluster based approach based on a hub and spokes model.  Infrastructure is created for primary processing and storage near the farm in the form of Primary Processing Centres (PPCs), Collection Centres (CCs) located in production areas. Common facilities and enabling infrastructure at Central Processing Centre like modern warehousing, cold storage, IQF, sorting, grading, packaging, pulping, ripening chambers and tetra packaging units roads, electricity, water, ETP facilities etc. This helps in reducing the cost of individual units significantly and makes them more viable. Induction of latest technology, quality assurance of processed food products through better process control and meeting of environmental and safety standards are other major benefits of Mega Food Parks. Total 42 Mega Food Parks have been sanctioned by the Government for setting-up in the country. Currently, 25 projects are under implementation, Expression of Interest (EoI) was invited on all India basis on 10.02.2014 with the last date of 31.07.2014 to fill up vacancies. Ministry received 72 proposals and after going through a stringent and transparent process of scrutiny, 17 suitable proposals from 11 States of the country have been selected and approved for implementation. This step of the Government will create huge modern infrastructure for food processing sector and provide impetus to the growth of the sector. These 17 newly selected Mega Food Parks are likely to attract investment of around Rs. 2000 crore in modern infrastructure, additional collective investment of around Rs. 4000 crore in 500 food processing units in the Parks and an annual turn-overof Rs. 8000 crore.These Parks,when fully functional, will create employment for about 80000 persons and benefit about 5 lakh farmers directly and indirectly. The timely completion of these Mega Food Park will provide a big boost to the growth of the food processing sector in the concerned state, help in providing better price to farmers, reduce wastage of perishables, add value to the agricultural produce and create huge employment opportunities especially in rural areas. These will also help in stabilizing prices of food products and contain inflation in the country.