Odisha urges Centre to declare more estates as food parks

The Odisha government has urged the Centre to declare three industrial estates having food processing units as designated food parks to receive credit support from NABARD, said an official on Sunday.

He said the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department has urged the union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) to declare three industrial estates as designated food parks.

"It was very kind of you to have informed that all four industrial estates have been notified as designated food parks for the purpose of availing credit from National Bank for Rural and Agriculture Developement (NABARD). But as per the communication received from Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), except Khurdha industrial estate, the rest three have not been declared as designated food park to receive the credit support from NABARD," said state MSME secretary Panchanan Das in a communication to MOFPI secretary Rangalal Jamuda.

The state government has proposed that Agro-Industrial Estate for Maize in Nabarangpur district, Jagatpur food park in Cuttack and Mancheswar food park in Bhubaneswar be notified as designated food parks.

Recognising the importance of easy access of credit, a special fund of Rs.2,000 crore has been created in NABARD for providing affordable credit to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing units in designated food parks.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government is in the process of identifying 20 locations for development of mega food parks in the state.

The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) have been asked to undertake the techno-feasibility study in this regard.