The Centre is facing problems in implementing mega food park projects in Bihar and West Bengal although these states have huge scope for food processing, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
The government is promoting through various schemes setting up of mega food farms, cold chains, storage and other farm gate infrastructure besides pushing farmers from being just producers to processors, she said while responding to queries during Question Hour.
"There is one mega food park in Bihar which according to me is under implementation. We have lot of trouble in Bihar to implement the projects," Badal said.
She also said, "Bihar and West Bengal have lot of raw material, lot of potential, but lot of difficulties in implementing our projects over there."
On progress made in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), the minister said only two parks were functional out of the 44 parks sanctioned prior to 2014. The current government made operational 15 food parks in the last five years, she said.
Total 17 mega food parks are operational in the country now, which are processing raw materials worth Rs 28 crore, generating employment to 17.5 lakh people, she added.
The minister also said it takes 24-30 months to set up mega food parks. "Lot of projects are now nearing completion," she added.
On food wastage, Badal said a 2015 study by the Ludhiana- based Central Institute of Post-harvest Engineering and Technology (ICIPHET) has pegged losses at Rs 92,000 crore in 45 commodities in seven agro-climatic regions.
Much of the losses are during post-harvest, transportation and storage, she said and added government schemes are focusing to address these issues.
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