Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has announced that her ministry will soon approach the Cabinet for the approval for an umbrella programme ‘Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA).’
About SAMPADA:
Financial Outlay: Rs. 6000 crore
To be implemented by: FY 2019-20
Objectives:
- To bring all ongoing schemes like mega food parks and cold chain projectsunder one umbrella scheme
- Bring down post harvest losses to almost zero level
- Provide high quality food to consumers at affordable price
- Doubling of farmers’ income
Proposed Schemes to improve food supply chain:
- ‘Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities’
- ‘New Agro-Processing Clusters’
- ‘Backward and Forward Linkages’
Initiative to create Food Processing Infrastructure:
Ms. Harsimrat Kaur also mentioned that in order to ensure seamless transfer of food products from production place to consumption centre, Govt. will provide up to Rs 10 crore of subsidy grant or 35% subsidy (whichever is lower) for creating infrastructure at food clusters, agriculture hubs, food labs and cold chains across the country.
Post-Harvest Losses and Govt.’s Initiatives:
As per a study done by Union Food Processing Ministry, our country suffers post-harvest losses to the tune of Rs 92,000 crore annually. Â In a bid to reduce such losses, Central Govt. has so far sanctioned 42 mega food parks and 234 cold chain projects.
- These projects can preserve and process 139 lakh tonnes of agricultural produce worth Rs 35,000 crore. Besides, they will also generate 3.5 lakh direct job opportunities.
- In March 2017, Food Processing Ministry sanctioned 101 new cold chain projects. These projects will require an investment of Rs. 3100 crore out of which Rs. 838 crore will be provided by the Food Processing Ministry.
- Renowned names like Big Basket, Amul and Haldiram will be setting up these projects.
