Mega Food Parks

Mega Food Parks

Mega Food Parks are large-scale food processing units that aim to provide a boost to the food processing industry. They are designed to offer modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market.

Overview

The Mega Food Park Scheme is an initiative by the Government of India to establish a direct link between the farmer and the market, and to create an efficient supply chain. The scheme aims to provide quality food processing infrastructure, reduce wastage, increase the processing level, and enhance the value of agricultural produce.

Components of a Mega Food Park

A typical Mega Food Park includes various components such as:

• Central Processing Centre (CPC): This is the core processing area which includes facilities like pulping, grading, packing, cold storage, etc.
• Primary Processing Centres (PPCs): These are located at various points in the catchment area of the Mega Food Park. They handle preliminary processing and storage of the produce brought in by the farmers.
• Collection Centres (CCs): These are points of aggregation where the produce from individual farmers is collected for further dispatch to the PPCs or CPC.

Benefits of Mega Food Parks

Mega Food Parks offer several benefits such as:

• Value addition: They help in adding value to the agricultural produce by processing and reducing wastage.
• Employment generation: They create direct and indirect employment in rural areas.
• Boost to the economy: They contribute to the growth of the food processing industry and the overall economy.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite the potential benefits, Mega Food Parks face several challenges such as lack of awareness among farmers, inadequate supply chain, and high operational costs. To overcome these challenges, the government is taking various measures like providing financial assistance, creating awareness, and improving the supply chain.

See Also

• Food Processing Industry in India
• Agriculture in India
• Supply Chain Management

References

• Mega Food Park Scheme, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.
• Food Processing Industry in India, Indian Brand Equity Foundation.
• Agriculture in India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

External Links

• Official Website of Mega Food Park Scheme
• Indian Brand Equity Foundation - Food Processing Industry in India
• Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India