Food processing min seeks additional Rs 350-cr fund in 2016-17

The food processing ministry has sought an extra fund of about Rs 350 crore for the current fiscal to implement the existing programmes, including mega food park, and is readying new schemes.
Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the government will soon come up with two new schemes for setting up of agro-processing clusters and creation of backward- forward linkages as part of its objective to double processing level from the current 10 per cent.
She also announced that a new scheme will be formulated for incentivising the creation of FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations) in food processing area.
The minister highlighted various activities undertaken by the ministry during Swachchta Pakhwada during October 16-31. She stressed on the need for cleanliness at abattoirs.

For ease of doing business, Badal launched a web-based system to submit documents for release of grant-in-aid under scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and said the move will contribute to the cleanliness drive by reducing paperwork, besides ensuring transparency.
Badal said the web-based system is already in place for the Mega Food Park Scheme since June and about Rs 160 crore has been disbursed electronically.

Food Processing Secretary Avinash Srivastava said the ministry will soon approach the Cabinet for approval of Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Clusters and another 'Scheme for Creation of Backward-Forward Linkages'.
Asked about the fund, he said the ministry has sought Rs 1,000 crore for this fiscal to implement the existing and new schemes as against Rs 636 crore allocated in the budget.

The secretary said the ministry will prepare a new scheme for incentivising creation of FPOs by the end of this year.