|
Govt dedicated to reduction in wastage & cold chain development: Badal
|
|
Our Bureau, New Delhi
May 27 , 2015
|
|
|
Union government is committed to address the challenges of insufficient
infrastructure leading to huge wastage, undue advantage to middlemen at
the cost of farmers’ remuneration and development of an efficient cold
chain infrastructure to link the farmer to the consumer
seamlessly,according to Union minister for food processing industries
Harsimrat Kaur Badal. She stated this while inaugurating the National
Cold Chain Summit organised in Gangtok recently.
Badal stated,
“India is one of the largest producers of milk, fruits and vegetables,
marine products, meat and poultry and there is an urgent need to create
adequate cold chain capacity in the country for preventing wastage.”
The
minister informed that the scheme for cold chain, value addition and
preservation infrastructure provided financial assistance up to Rs 10
crore for entrepreneurs. A total of 138 integrated cold chain projects
were approved by the government, which include 30 new cold chain
projects sanctioned recently for implementation and would attract an
investment of Rs 470 crore.
Out of 108 projects that are under
implementation by the ministry, 52 have already achieved completion and
commenced commercial operation. It is expected that operationalisation
of these 138 projects would create capacity of (a) 4.76 lakh MT of cold
storage, controlled atmosphere (CA)/ modified atmosphere (MA) storage,
deep freezer (b) 118.5 MT per hour of individual quick freezing (IQF)
(c) 118.05 lakh litre per day (LLPD) of milk processing and storage and
(d) 810 reefer carriers.
Badal stated that recently, Reserve
Bank of India classified loan to food and agro-based processing units
and cold chain under agriculture activities for Priority Sector Lending
(PSL) subject to aggregate sanctioned limit of Rs 100 crore per
borrower. It will ensure greater flow of credit to entrepreneurs for
setting up food processing units and attract investment in the sector.
She
informed that an ‘Investors’ Portal’ has been developed by the ministry
with the intention to disseminate information on the state-specific
resource potential, policy support and fiscal incentives offered to
investors in food processing sector.
The minister expressed
confidence that such summits would help in understanding the intricacies
and complexities of the issues involved and would bring up suggestions
which would help in devising a clear and concrete roadmap towards
stimulating growth of this sector.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOPICS
|
That foods might provide therapeutic benefits is clearly not a new concept. ...
|
|
|
|
|