Government scales up mega food parks project; plans another 15

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the setting up 15 new mega food park projects under the infrastructure development scheme, involving a total government grant of Rs787.50 crore. This is in addition to the 15 ongoing projects, an official release said today.

The setting up of 15 new mega food parks will result in the creation of state-of-the-art infrastructure in major parts of the country with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlets.

The projects while helping in value addition and reduction of wastage, are expected to generate additional employment and improve incomes of farmers.

The scheme, which will be implemented in a market- driven manner, commensurate with both global and national demands, would require creation of an innovative supply chain management for its effective implementation.

The procedure for implementation of the project involves inviting expressions of interest (EOI) from prospective entrepreneurs and selection of the most suitable proposal. The timeline for project implementation in respect of each mega food park is 24 months from the date of release of first tranche of the first installment.

Each mega food park, with investments of about Rs100-crore, is expected to benefit 6,000 farmers/ producers directly and 25,000-30,000 farmers indirectly. These projects will leverage additional investments of about Rs250 crore.