Mega Food Park to become operational shortly

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 8

The Mega Food Park being developed by Punjab Agro Industries Corporation in Ladhowal, here, is likely to start operations in the next two months as almost 95 per cent of the work of infrastructure construction has been completed. This was informed by Sibin C, Managing Director, Punjab Agro Industries Corporation, while addressing the investors and government officials from across the state during a state-level seminar organised at Bachat Bhawan, here today.

During this seminar, the investors were briefed about the facilities being provided by the Punjab Government as well as the Union Government to the investors in the food processing sector.

Sibin C said the Ladhowal Food Park, international-level investors such as Godrej Tyson Foods, Iscon Balaji Foods and Meat Masters have completed their projects, while other investors are in the process of completing the necessary formalities after the purchase of plots. He said both the Punjab government as well as the Union Government were committed to promote the food processing sector in the state and that is why subsidies and other benefits are offered to the investors. He urged the investors to form clusters and invest in this project so that they can get maximum benefit of the schemes.

He said besides the Ladhowal Mega Food Park, primary processing centres are also being set up at Abohar, Hoshiarpur, Sri Amritsar Sahib and Talwandi Sabo. He said the companies investing in Ladhowal Mega Food Park will also be able to get benefit of these centres. He also stated that mini food parks can also be set up in other districts of the state for which minimum of 10 acres land is required.

Sibin C said Punjab had merely 1.5 per cent of the total land of our country, but still its contribution to the food production of country is much more than other states. He said wastage of foodgrains during harvesting can be checked through foodprocessing.

He stated that for the benefit of investors, Punjab government had set up the Invest Punjab Bureau under which all necessary permissions are granted in quick manner. The representatives of Punjab Agricultural University assured the investors as well as the government officials of full support in technology development and crop diversification. Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal briefed the gathering about the current status of Ladhowal Mega Food Park and stated that the Ladhowal Byepass, constructed to connect all major cities of state with this park, is also near completion.

There was a detailed presentation about ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana’. The representatives from NABARD and Grant Thornton also addressed the seminar.