Mega Food Park Scheme: Components, Allocation and Initiatives

Mega Food Park Scheme is one of the components of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana. The Ministry of Food Processing runs different schemes for various segments to enhance the food processing sector. It has various sub-schemes under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna, PLISFPI Scheme, and the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. We have analyzed all three schemes previously. Now, we will be analyzing the sub-components of the scheme separately. In this section, we will be analyzing the outlay and allocations for different schemes by the central government in the food processing domain.

Mega Food Park Scheme

This Scheme aims to provide a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors, and retailers. It aims to maximize value addition, minimize wastage, increase farmers’ income, and create employment opportunities, particularly in the rural sector. The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on the “Cluster” approach. It envisages creating a state-of-the-art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone. These zones are available for the setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park. These are equipped with a well-established supply chain.

Components of the Mega Food Park Scheme

Mega food park typically consists of supply chain infrastructure such as collection centres, primary processing centres, central processing centers, cold chain, and around 25-30 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.

Special Purpose Vehicle

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) implements the project under the Mega Food Park Schemes. It is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act. However, the ministry provides exemptions for some bodies for the formation of SPV. These are the State government, State Government entities, and Cooperatives.  Currently, the central government has funded 41 Mega Food Parks under the scheme.

Operational Mega Food Parks

Currently, the following 24 Mega Food Parks are operational across different states in India.

1. Srini Mega Food Park, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
2. Godavari Mega Aqua Park, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh.
3. North East Mega Food Park, Nalbari, Assam.
4. Indus Best Mega Food Park, Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
5. Gujarat Agro Mega Food Park, Surat, Gujarat.
6. Cremica mega Food park, Una, Himachal Pradesh.
7. Integrated Mega Food Park, Tumkur, Karnataka.
8. Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) Mega Food Park, Palakkad, Kerala.

9. Indus Mega Food Park, Khargoan, Madhya Pradesh.
10. Avantee Mega Food Park, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh.
11. Paithan Mega Food Park, Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
12. Satara Mega Food Park, Satara, Maharashtra.
13. Zoram Mega Food Park, Kolasib, Mizoram.
14. MITS Mega Food Park, Rayagada, Odisha.
15. International Mega Food Park, Fazilka, Punjab.
16. Sukhjit Mega Food Park, Kapurthala, Punjab.
17. Greentech Mega Food park, Ajmer, Rajasthan.
18. Smart Agro Mega Food Park, Nizamabad, Telangana.
19. Tripura Mega Food Park, West Tripura, Tripura.
20. Patanjali Food and Herbal Park, Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
21. Himalayan Mega Food Park, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand.
22. Jangipur Bengal Mega Food Park, Murshidabad, West Bengal.
23. Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIIDC), Haryana.
24. Kerala State Industrial Dev Corpt Ltd (KSIDC), Alappuzha, Kerala

States-Wise Distribution of Mega Food Parks

Way Forward

Mega Food Park scheme is a revolutionary step towards making the food processing sector robust and sustainable. The scheme, with its cluster approach, provides easily accessible infrastructure support to its units. It cuts the cost of infrastructure requirements for the food processing units located within the park. Furthermore, they also get forward and backward linkages as the government provides road and railway infrastructure support to these parks. Mega Food Parks have emerged as the case studies for the sustainable production patterns across the globe.