Mega Food Parks

Government has approved setting up of 15 Mega Food Parks under Infrastructure Development Scheme. The main features of the scheme are cluster based and demand driven approach. Availability of approximately 50 -100 acres of land and adequate quantity of raw materials are basic criteria for the selection of location for setting up of such Parks.

Setting up of 15 more Mega Food Parks have been proposed during the remaining period of 11th Five Year Plan.

The States for these projects have not been finalized.

This scheme is aimed at creating state of the art infrastructure facility for enabling setting up of food processing industries. Through backward linkages, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the Mega Food Park enters into an arrangement with farmers’ group in the catchment area for production of desired variety and quantity of farm produce to ensure regular supply of raw material to the Mega Food Park. This has facilitated clusterised farming on demand driven manner with market orientation. The farmers are assured of the market for their farm produce and get remunerative prices thereby increasing their income considerably.

Ministry has constituted District Coordination Committee under the Chairmanship of concerned District Collectors for coordinating various activities of the Mega Food Park.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Dr. Charan Das Mahant in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

MP:SB:CP: food park (9.8.2011)