1. Objective
The Mega Food Park Scheme aims to:
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Link agricultural production to the market.
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Facilitate value addition and minimize post-harvest losses.
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Increase farmers’ income.
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Generate employment, particularly in rural areas.
2. Key Features
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Based on a “Cluster” approach.
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Focuses on integrated value chains – from farm to fork.
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Brings together farmers, processors, and retailers into one ecosystem.
3. Infrastructure Components
A typical Mega Food Park includes:
A. Collection Centers (CC)
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Located near farms.
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Used for aggregating raw produce.
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Facilities for weighing, sorting, grading.
B. Primary Processing Centers (PPC)
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For preliminary processing such as:
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Cleaning, grading, waxing, packaging.
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Minimal processing to preserve freshness.
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C. Central Processing Center (CPC)
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Core of the park with:
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Advanced food processing infrastructure.
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Quality control labs, R&D, warehousing, and packaging facilities.
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Effluent treatment and cold storage.
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D. Cold Chain Infrastructure
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Refrigerated transport.
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Cold storage at multiple levels (farm, PPC, CPC).
E. Plots for Entrepreneurs
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25–30 fully developed plots available for setting up food processing units.
4. Eligible Entities
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SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) – typically a consortium of private players.
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State Government entities, cooperatives, and PSUs are also eligible.
5. Financial Assistance
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Grant-in-aid: 50% of eligible project cost (excluding land), up to Rs. 50 crore.
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For North Eastern and hilly states: up to 75% of eligible cost.
6. Benefits of Mega Food Parks
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Reduces wastage of perishable produce.
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Enables value addition at the farm level.
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Boosts investment in food processing.
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Creates direct and indirect employment.
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Improves logistics and cold chain infrastructure.
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Empowers farmers through better price realization.
7. Governance
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Implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India.
8. Examples of Operational Mega Food Parks
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Srini Mega Food Park, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
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North East Mega Food Park, Nalbari, Assam.
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Punjab Agro Mega Food Park, Fazilka, Punjab.
9. Challenges
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High initial capital requirement.
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Land acquisition and clearances.
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Need for strong backward (farmer) and forward (market) linkages.
10. Conclusion
The Mega Food Park Scheme is a transformative initiative that builds an efficient and integrated agri-business ecosystem. It fosters rural development, industrial growth, and sustainable agriculture by bridging the gap between producers and the market.
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