HYDERABAD: The State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Telangana State Food Processing Policy with an aim to set up food processing units in large numbers across the State in the wake of a steady increase in paddy production. In the first phase, the food processing zones will be set up with each zone spread across 500 to 1,000 acres. By 2024-25, the food processing zones would be established in 10,000 acres. The Cabinet expects to attract Rs 25,000 crore investment, to provide direct employment to 70,000 people and indirect employment to three lakh through this policy.
It will be like a “plug and play” for SCs, STs and minorities who want to start the food processing units as the State government would construct sheds for them. Under the policy, rice mills, paddy and allied industries, cereals, oilseed, fruits, flowers, meat, fish, poultry and dairy development units would be started. Exports will also be encouraged from these food processing units.
Around 500-metre areas around these food processing units would be declared as buffer zones and no residential colonies would be allowed in these zones. The last date for applying to start the food processing units has been extended till July 31.
Sub-committee formed
The Cabinet also constituted a Cabinet Sub-committee under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy to study and give a report on the storage of paddy, milling, marketing and for establishing new agro-based industries. The Cabinet also decided to encourage oil palm cultivation with a target of raising oil palm in 20 lakh acres in 2022-23. The oil palm farmers would get Rs 26,000 subsidy for the first year, Rs 5,000 each in second and third years. The Cabinet directed the officials and peoples’ representatives to visit Costa Rica, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries to study oil palm cultivation.