Union Cabinet Minister for Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal recently inaugurated the first ‘Mega Food Park’ in Surat district of Gujarat.
The Gujarat Agro Mega Food Park, which is established in 70.15 acre of land and at a cost of Rs. 117.87 crore is said to benefit the people of Surat District as well as those from nearby Narmada, Navsari, Tapi and Bharuch districts. The Park comprises of Multi Chamber Cold Store of 3,500 MT (1500 MT Frozen, 2000 MT MA), 5000 MT Warehouse, IQF of 2 TPH, Pulping Line, QC Laboratory and other related food processing facilities. It also includes a common administrative building for office and other purposes by the industrialists and 4 PPCs at Padra (Vadodara), Valsad, Bharuch and Navsari with facilities for primary processing and storage near the farms.
Subscribe to our digital copies. Click here.
Badal said that the Mega Food Park will leverage an extra investment of about Rs. 250 crores in 25 to 30 food processing units in the Park and will generate income of Rs. 450-500 crore per annum. Additionally the Park will provide direct as well as indirect employment opportunities to 5000 people and benefit around 25000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas.
Badal said the modern infrastructure for food processing made at the Park will be beneficial to the farmers, processors and consumers of Gujarat and neighboring areas greatly. She added that “the government is fully committed in providing an environment that is smooth, translucent and easy for investors wanting to start business in India and in a bid to make the country a flexible food economy and Food Factory of the World, the government has made Food Processing a major thrust area of Make in India”.
Moreover, the Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is focused on enhancing the food processing industry in India, so that the agriculture sector develops exponentially and becomes the main contributor to doubling the farmers’ incomes.
