New Delhi

Adani group, Ruchi Soya and Amrapali are among the companies that have bagged projects to develop 17 mega food parks that envisage an investment of over Rs 6,000 crore.

To boost food processing in the country, the Centre today approved setting up of 17 mega food parks by allocating 10 such parks to private companies and the remaining 7 projects to state government PSUs.

The project cost to set up these 17 mega food parks, which provide various infrastructure and other facilities for setting up of food processing units, would be Rs 2,300 crore, of which the central grant would be Rs 850 crore.

An estimated investment of another Rs 4,000 crore would be from food processing units to be set up in these parks.

“The Ministry received 72 proposals both from state governments and private players for the 17 food parks. Seven mega food parks have been allocated to state governments and 10 to private players,” Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal told reporters here.

Under the scheme (2008-09) of mega food parks, the Food Processing Ministry had sanctioned 42 projects throughout the country. Of these, 25 parks have already been allocated.

“The total project cost of these 17 mega food parks is estimated at more than Rs 2,000 crore, of which the government’s contribution would be to the tune of Rs 850 crore. Another Rs 4,000 crore is estimated to be invested once the basic infrastructure of these food parks is set up,” Badal said.

Adani group firm Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd would set up project in Kutch in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 168.60 crore, Ruchi Soya group firm Ruchi Acroni Industries project will come up at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.

While, Amarpali Group firm Mums Mega Food Park will set up its project at Buxar in Bihar.

Five state governments — Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha — have been allocated one food park each, while Kerala government has been allocated two food parks.

Badal said the basic infrastructure in these food parks needs to be set up within 30 months. In each mega food park, 40-50 food processing units would come up.

In these mega food parks, 80,000 people are expected to get employment while 5 lakh farmers would also be benefited.

Badal further said only 2 per cent of total fruits, vegetables and grains produced in the country are processed.

The Mega Food Park Scheme, based on cluster approach, is modelled on hub and spoke architecture. It aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processing industry backed by an efficient supply chain, which includes collection centres, central processing centre (CPC) and cold chain infrastructure.

The scheme envisages one time capital grant of 50 per cent of the project cost (excluding land cost) subject to a maximum of Rs 50 crore in general areas, and 75 per cent of the project cost (excluding land cost) subject to a ceiling of Rs 50 crore in difficult and hilly areas, including the North-East and J&K.

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