BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has initiated measures for setting up a mega food park in Orissa.According to official sources, initially one mega food park has been sanctioned under the food processing industry scheme by the Centre. The scheme envisages that the project will attract investors and Orissa will evolve as a world class food processing hub in the forthcoming years. It has been decided that the project will be implemented on public-private partnership mode with an investment of ` 200 crore. The project will create direct employment opportunities for 30,000 people. The farmer groups, self-help groups (SHGs), and individual farmers will directly benefit from the scheme. In the first phase, the project will be implemented in Rayagada and Khurda districts with an investment of ` 120 crore and in Ganjam district, in the second phase, with an investment of ` 80 crore. The scheme will have field collection centres, primary processing centres, central processing centres and extended storage facilities for agricultural products. Food clusters and vegetable clusters will be developed as per their conduciveness in 10 agro-climatic zones of the State. Since Orissa has 480-km long coast, four fishing harbours and 60 fish landing centres, fishery activities and marine food processing units will also come up under the scheme.A total of 56 processing units over 198 acres has been proposed. The State Government has proposed to focus on four or five types of agro-food products that can be grown in abundance in Orissa and has stressed that benefits to the farmer and community should be prioritised. The Government has directed the Industries Department to work out a package for assistance and incentives necessary and submit it for approval.
Comments
0 comment