Lok Sabha Question No. 2787 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-12
Subject: Additional Mega Food Parks in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2787 ANSWERED ON 12 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## ADDITIONAL MEGA FOOD PARKS IN TAMIL NADU

## 2787. Dr. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN :

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plans to set up additional Mega Food Parks in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any investments in cold storages are being planned by the Government in Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to develop additional biomass facilities owing to large production of sugarcane in the State; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a) & (b). Ministry of the Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved 41 Mega Food Park projects and out of this, 24 Mega Food Parks are operational. The scheme has been discontinued by the Government w.e.f. 01.04.2021 with provision for committed liabilities and hence, there is no proposal to set up additional Mega Food Parks in India, including Tamil Nadu.

(c), (d) & (e). MoFPI has been implementing central sector umbrella scheme namely 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) since 2017-18 across the country. The objective of the scheme is to ensure overall development  of  food  processing  sector  in  the  country.  The  PMKSY  has  several  on-going  component schemes such as Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Cluster (APC), Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition  Infrastructure  (ICC),  Creation  /  Expansion  of  Food  Processing  &  Preservation  Capacities (CEFPPC) and Operation Greens (OG) to provide financial  assistance  for  setting  up  of  Food  Processing Industries (FPI) including setting up of cold chain infrastructure in the country. MoFPI does not set up food processing unit including cold storage infrastructure on its own. Schemes are demand driven and not region specific wherein proposals are invited through Expression of Interest from eligible entities as per scheme guidelines. MoFPI does not provide financial assistance for stand-alone cold storages and biomass facilities under any of the component schemes of PMKSY.

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which financial assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including Construction/Expansion/  Modernization  of  cold  storages  for  storage  of  perishable  horticultural  produce throughout  the  country  including  Tamil  Nadu  on  the  basis  of  Annual  Action  Plan  (AAP)  received  from States/UTs. AAPs are prepared by the States/UTs based on their requirement, capacity and availability of resources. The component under the scheme is demand/entrepreneur driven for which Government assistance in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy is available at the rate of 35% of the project cost in general areas and 50% of the project cost in hilly and scheduled areas through respective State Horticulture Missions.