Efforts are on for early completion of 19 Mega Food Parks in the country: Pashupati Kumar Paras

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras today 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.

Paras was speaking to reporters after a tour of the Ministry and interaction with senior officials and staff.

On the question of benefits to farmers, 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. Government has announced expansion of scope of "Operation Greens Scheme" from Tomato, Onion & Potato (TOP) to 22 perishable products, in the budget speech for 2021-2022.

There is huge scope for Mini Food Parks in North Eastern Region and in North Bihar, he added.

Paras said he would visit Bihar on August 20 and conduct an on-the spot assessment of Mega Food Park at Mansi in Khagaria district of Bihar, which he said is 70 percent complete and also assess the progress of mega food park at Motipur block of Muzaffarpur district, approved by the Centre in April this Year.

Paras said the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021 has been notified after its passage by Parliament in the just concluded session. He said, with this, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Kundali (Haryana) and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) Thanjabur (Tamil Nadu) under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries have become institutions of national importance .

( With inputs from ANI )