NELLORE: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved a food park at Alamandha in Vizianagaram of Andhra Pradesh. The project worth Rs 28.74 crore was approved under the Agro Processing Cluster scheme on November 11 last year, and an amount of Rs 5.9 crore was initially granted, said Minister of State Prahlad Singh Patel.
The MoS was replying to a question raised by Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The Union Minister added the timeline for completion of projects already approved under the APC scheme was 24 months in most areas and 30 months in North Eastern and Himalayan states (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir & Uttarakhand).
The Union Minister also explained that the government has taken up various policy measures and reforms to support food processing sector, such as inclusion of food & agro-based processing and cold chain units, as agricultural activity under the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms in April 2015.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has shifted from product-by-product approval to an ingredient and additive-based approval process.“A Special Food Processing Fund of Rs 2,000 crore was set up with NABARD to provide affordable credit for investments in setting up Mega Food Parks as well as processing units in the MFPs,” he said.