Badal lays foundation stone of maize-based food park in Punjab

Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today laid the foundation stone of a Rs 123.7 crore mega food park with focus on maize processing in Kapurthala district, Punjab.
Earlier, the permission to set up a mega food park was denied because the district was declared a 'dark zone' because of slow desertification and over-exploitation of water due to cash crops, the minister said in a statement.
"Since this would be a maize-based mega food park, (it) will promote crop diversification and water conservation," Badal said.
Special efforts been made to get the necessary approval from the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, she added.

The park is being developed by Sukhjit Mega Food Park and Infra Limited at village Rehana Jattan. It will boost job opportunities and environment conservation.
Badal said that the project will leverage an additional investment of about Rs 250 crore in 25-30 food processing units in the park and generate turnover of Rs 450-500 crore annually. The park will provide direct and indirect employment to 5,000 persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers.

Set up in an area of 55 acres, the first maize-based park is being built with an investment of Rs 123.7 crore with a grant of Rs 50 crore by Union Food Processing Industries Ministry for multipurpose cold storage of 3,000 metric tonnes, Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) and Deep Freezer 1 metric tonne/hour capacity, sorting and grading yard of 2,000 sqm and Food Testing Lab.

Besides, the promoter is also setting up an Anchor Unit with an investment of Rs 105 crore for maize processing with an installed grinding capacity of 500 tonnes a day.
Badal also mentioned that there is an urgent need to turn to maize and the government would relentlessly work to make maize as the third viable staple crop of Punjab after wheat and rice.