The government going to launch a new umbrella programme named as ‘SAMPADA’ for food processing sector. With a total of Rs. 6,000 crore outlay, it will integrate current and new schemes with an aim to reduce wastage of food and doubling the income of farmers’.
Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said will soon approach the Cabinet for the approval of ‘Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA).
Ongoing schemes like mega food parks and cold chain projects will also be included along with three new schemes that we will launch.
To create infrastructure for improving the entire food supply chain, three schemes— ‘Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities’, ‘New Agro-Processing Clusters’ and ‘Backward and Forward Linkages’ are on anvil.
The main objective of the scheme (SAMPADA) will be to bring down post harvest losses of farmers preferably to zero level, improving quality food provided to consumers and also to make food available at cheaper price and for doubling of farmers’ income.
Total 42 mega food parks and 234 cold chain projects with 139 lakh tonnes of preserving and processing capacity of agro-produce worth Rs. 35,000 crore has been sanctioned by the government.
The post-harvest losses is estimated at Rs. 92,000 crore annually, she said, adding that these food parks and cold chains would help in cutting this wastage.
The total investment of the project is of about Rs. 15,000 crore. It will also generate 3.5 lakh employment opportunities and 15 lakh farmers will be benefited.
Under the new scheme, all agro-clusters will be mapped and Rs. 10 crore of subsidy grant will be provided to each of these clusters for creating infrastructure so that seamless transfer of food products from producing to consuming centers becomes a reality.
