On Thursday (3 June), Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Narendra Singh Tomar and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Virtually Inaugurated the Indus Best Mega Food Park.
The ministry has sanctioned Mega Food Park in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, which is being implemented by M/s Indus Best Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd, to help the food processing industry flourish in the state.
M/s Indus Best Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd has been set up in 63.8 acres of land at a project cost of Rs 145.5 crore. The facilities created by the implementing agency at Central Processing Centre (CPC) of this Mega Food Park include cold storage – 3,745 MT, pack house – 10 MT/Hr, dry warehouse – 12,000 MT, boiler – 8 MT, aseptic pulping and packaging line – 6 MT/Hr for mango and 12MT for tomato, IQF and deep freeze 2MT/hr and 1500 MT, food testing lab besides state of the art enabling infrastructure.
The Park also has three Primary Processing Centres (PPC) at Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg districts with facilities for primary processing and storage near the farms in the catchment area to benefit farmers. This Mega Food Park will help the people of Raipur District as well as other districts of Chhattisgarh.
Speaking on occasion, Minister Tomar said that the Mega Food Park will ensure value addition, longer shelf life for farm produce, better price realization for farmers, excellent storage facility and will provide an alternate market for farmers in the region.
“The Park will also provide direct and indirect employment to about 5,000 persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is executing the Mega Food Park Scheme across the country to dramatically improve the food processing industry by adding value and minimising food wastage at each level of the supply chain, with an emphasis on perishables.
Mega Food Parks use a cluster-based method to construct modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market, with strong forward and backward connections. The plan provides financial support of up to Rs 50 crore each Mega Food Park project from the Indian government.
