The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has no proposal to set up a special agricultural processing zone in Chhattisgarh in the near future, the Central Government has informed.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) does not set up any food processing industries/units/projects on its own, it informed.
The details of projects sanctioned in the State of Chhattisgarh are: Mega Food Park (1), Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (2) Setting up/ Modernisation of Abattoirs (1), Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities (1).
The Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid under component schemes of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) to the individual, farmers, farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), entrepreneurs, cooperatives, societies, self-Help Groups (SHGs), Private Companies and Central/State PSUs etc. under its various schemes to enable them to set up of food processing industries/units/projects.
The schemes are not any region specific or State specific, but are demand driven. Financial assistance to the eligible applicants is provided against the Expression of Interest issued by the MoFPI from time to time.
Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (CSIDC) had already invited proposals from companies/promoters for setting up of Food Processing, Fruit & Vegetables Processing and Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) units to provide modern infrastructure facilities for food processing sector in the State .
Special incentives packages has been notified for companies/promoters interested in setting up units in areas of Food Processing, Fruit & Vegetable Processing and Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) processing in State of Chhattisgarh having investment intent of Rs 500 Crore and more, officials informed.
Notably, the erstwhile BJP Government last year had decided establish Multi-Commodity Cold Storage chambers for Horticulture and other commodities in five districts of the State.
The cold storages were to be established at Mandi/Sub Mandi Yard of Raipur (TULSI), Durg, Rajnandgaon , Bilaspur and Raigarh.
Meanwhile, it may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Government last year had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority ( APEDA) to develop clusters for providing a major push to Agri products exports from the State.
There was a plan to create a ‘cluster’ for horticultural crops in common geographical locations with a view to selecting the best produce for their packaging and their processing for the exports market.
APEDA was to assist the Government in finding exports markets to sell the produce. For this, the Government had chosen three key horticulture producing locations in which papaya, bananas and vegetables are grown.
For papaya and bananas, Durg, Bemetara, Raipur, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon districts have been chosen whereas for vegetables, Durg, Bemetara, Raipur, Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon, Balod, Surguja, Bastar and Raigarh were identified.
It may also be recalled that the former BJP Government had also prepared a five-year master plan to provide a fillip to the cultivation of horticulture based crops in the State.
The master plan is for the period 2017-18 to 2021-22.
Horticulture is a sunrise sector in the State. The Horticulture crops cover an acreage of 7.41 lakh hectares and production is about 85.95 lakh metric tonnes, officials had informed.
The acreage under horticulture crops had increased several times since 2004-05.
According to the master plan, the target is to increase acerage of horticulture crops by about 4.52 lakh hectares. The increase in acerage will cover fruits, vegetables, masala (spices) crops and flowers.