The Mega Food Park Scheme, initiated by the Centre, aims to encourage public-private partnership in creating rural infrastructure in food processing sector. The scheme, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in September 2008, envisages setting up 10 mega foods parks in India i.e. Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu), Mandya (Karnataka), Pune-Satara region (Maharashtra), Jangipur (West Bengal), Guwahati (northeast), Rae Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Hardwar (Uttarakhand) and Ludhiana-Jalandhar region (Punjab).The scheme is under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.The government will divide the stipulated Rs 500 Cr among the ten food parks.
For instance, Unity Infraprojects Ltd, Mumbai, is developing the mega food park near Jalandhar at a cost of around Rs 360 crore. The facility will be established on around 100 acres and will consist of 30-35 food processing units.Western Agri Food Park established in Satara is Western India's first food park and based on 75 acres of land.
Such food parks will help in
- Reducing post harvest losses
- Maintainance of the supply chain in sustainable manner
- Value Addition
- Additional income generation for the farmers
- shifting the farmers to more market driven and profitable farming activities.
