The primary objective of this scheme is to provide modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market
Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras said that efforts are on for early completion of 19 mega food parks in the country, which are under various stages of implementation. He said that the primary objective of this scheme is to provide modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market.
The ministry has accorded final approval to 38 mega food parks and in-principle approval to three mega food parks in the country. Out of these, 22 mega food park projects have been made operational. The interaction also had Secretary, Food Processing Industries Pushpa Subramanyam accompanied the minister during the formal tour and interaction.
The minister said that efforts are also on to boost value addition in 22 perishables like mango, banana, apple, pineapple, carrot, cauliflower, beans etc identified by the ministry to supplement the income of farmers. According to him, the government has announced the expansion of the scope of the ’Operation Greens Scheme’ from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) to 22 perishable products, in the budget speech for 2021-2022. Paras said that there is huge scope for mini food parks in North Eastern Region and North Bihar.
Paras said that he will be visiting Bihar on the 20th of this month and will conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the mega food park at Mansi in Khagaria district of Bihar, which he said is 70 per cent complete. The minister will also meet Bihar’s industry minister Shahnawaz Hussain to assess the progress of the mega food park at Motipur block of Muzaffarpur district, approved by the Centre in April this year.
