Question : AGRO FOOD PROCESSING HUBS

(a) whether the Government proposes to identify the areas which have potential to create a hub/ cluster for food and agro processing across the country including Andhra Pradesh;

(b) if so, the details and the blue print thereof;

(c) the number of food processing industries set up in private, public and cooperative sector in the country, State-wise;

(d) the details of funds/subsidy allocated and utilised for the above purpose during each of the last three years and the current year, State and Scheme-wise;

(e) whether the Government proposes to set up processing units for spice crops in various parts of the country including Rajasthan, if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken by the Government to make food processing industries a major source of income in rural areas of the country?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)&(b): No, Madam. The Government is already implementing the Central Sector Scheme of Mega Food Park with the objective to create modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market in a cluster based approach based on a hub and spokes model. It includes creation of infrastructure for primary processing and storage near the farm and common facilities and enabling infrastructure at Central Processing Centre(CPC). CPC is equipped with common facilities and enabling infrastructure like roads, electricity, water, ETP facilities etc. and is networked with Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) and Collection Centres

(CCs) located in production areas and acting as aggregation and storage points to feed raw material to the processing units located in the CPC. The scheme is demand driven and implemented by the private sector. The project components and location of the project are decided by the promoter

(s) based on the economic viability of the project.

(c)to(e): For setting up food processing units including spice processing units as well as technological up- gradation and expansion of existing food processing units in various parts of the country including Rajasthan, Government has been implementing a Scheme for Technology Up-gradation/ Establishment/ Modernization of Food Processing Industries. Under the scheme, financial assistance is extended in the form of grant-in-aid to entrepreneurs @ 25% of the cost of plant & machinery and technical civil works subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 lakhs in general areas and @ 33.33% subject to a maximum of Rs. 75 lakhs in difficult areas. This scheme has been subsumed in the National Mission on Food Processing

(NMFP) with effect from 1st April, 2012 which is being implemented through State/ UT Governments. Under the Mission, State Governments are empowered to receive the applications, sanction and release the grants-in-aid to the eligible beneficiaries. Mission provides flexibility to States / UTs in the selection of beneficiaries and location of projects etc. as per their specific requirement and priorities so as to better ensure the development of food processing sector. State-wise details of the funds allocated, Government of India share released under NMFP and amount sanctioned by State Government to the units during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 under Technology Up-gradation/ Establishment/ Modernization of Food Processing Industries component of National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) are at Annexure-I. State- wise details of the funds (financial assistance) released for the committed/spillover liabilities of 11th Plan under the scheme for Technology Up-gradation/ Establishment/ Modernization of Food Processing Industries during the last three years and the current year (2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15) are at Annexure-II.

(f):The Government is implementing various schemes for development of infrastructure for food processing and increasing the processing capacity in the country with an objective to reduce post-harvest losses of the agriculture produce, increase income of the farmer, increase value addition and create employment especially in rural areas.