Designated food parks status for three more parks

Three more industrial estates in Odisha with a thrust on food processing industries have been accorded the status of designated food parks by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). This will enable the food processing units there to get concessional credit from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard).

"The ministry has given the status to Agro Industrial Estate for maize (Nabarangpur), Jagatpur food park at Jagatpur industrial estate in Cuttack and Mancheswar food park at Mancheswar industrial estate in Bhubaneswar and communicated to us duly. The same is highlighted in the ministry's website also," said a government official.

Earlier, the Union ministry had accorded the designated status to MITS mega food park, sea food park at Deras and Khordha mega food park in the state.

However, at that time, the MoFPI had ignored the plea of the state government to include Agro Industrial Estate for maize (Nabarangpur), Jagatpur food park and Mancheswar food park. Panchanan Dash, secretary, MSME department, in June had requested Rangalal Jamuda secretary, MoFPI, to notify the left out three industrial estates as designated industrial park for availing credit through Nabard.

With the new declaration, the number of designated food parks in the state now stands at six. After notification, the food processing units at these parks will be eligible to access concessional credit from the Rs 2,000 crore fund available with Nabard for the purpose, added the official.

It may be noted that the in the General Budget -2014, the Centre had announced setting up of a special fund of Rs 2,000 crore in Nabard to provide affordable credit to agro-processing units being designated as food parks. The fund has been established in Nabard by Reserve Bank of India. The financial assistance will be provided by Nabard either directly or through consortium arrangements with other financing agencies. State governments, entities promoted by state and central governments, joint ventures, cooperatives, federation of cooperatives, special purpose vehicles, farmers'/ producers' organisations, corporates, companies, entrepreneurs can avail loans from the fund for establishing the designated food parks and also for setting up of individual food and agro processing units in these complexes.