Issues Related to Mega Food Park (MFP) Scheme Discussed in Lok Sabha

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing Mega Food Park (MFP) Scheme to provide modern infrastructure facilities for food processing industries along the value chain from farm to the market. The Ministry provides financial assistance for setting up Mega Food Parks in the country. The proposals are invited through Expression of Interest (EoI) which are approved on merit as per the criterion specified under the applicable guidelines of the scheme.

The Scheme aims to facilitate the establishment of a strong food processing industry backed by an efficient supply chain, which may include collection centres, primary processing centres and cold chain infrastructure. The food processing units are set up at a Central Processing Centre (CPC) with need based common infrastructure such as (i) Basic enabling infrastructure like developed land/plots, roads, drainage, water supply, electricity, effluent treatment plant etc;(ii) Common processing and preservation infrastructure like warehouse, cold storage, deep freezers, laboratory, common food processing line, packaging line etc; (iii) Non- core infrastructure as common support facilities like Administrative building, Canteen, Workers’ hostel, trade facilitation centres etc. and (iv) Standard factory shed as a part of plug and play facilities for Micro and Small enterprises(MSEs). Due to these reasons, cost of developed land inside the park may be higher than undeveloped land outside the park.However, these facilities enables faster operationalisation of new units in MFPs, reduces their cost of operations and gives them access to essential facilities within the park. Moreover, for cost sensitive small manufacturers like MSEs, MFP provides ready to use factory sheds as a part of plug and play facility.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries has taken various measures for expediting the implementation of sanctioned projects like-

1. Holding regular review meetings with the promoters to help remove bottlenecks in implementation;
2. (ii) Facilitating the promoters in obtaining the required statutory clearances from concerned authority;
3. (iii) Modifying the provisions of the scheme guidelines to facilitate implementation of the project;
4. (iv) Implementing the scheme for Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities as a sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana which provides financial assistance for setting up food processing units in Mega Food Parks;
5. Creating awareness of benefits available under the schemes for the establishment of food processing units in the park.

Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel gave this information in a written reply in Lok Sabha.