Q. Consider the following statements about the Mega Food Park Scheme:

1. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme
2. Under the Scheme, the central government provides financial assistance up to Rs. 50.00 Crore per Mega Food Park project.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: Both 1 & 2
Notes: First statement is correct. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country. Second statement is correct. As per the scheme, the central government provides financial assistance up to Rs 50 crore per Mega Food Park project. The scheme is based on Cluster-based approach on Hub and Spoke model. It includes Central Processing Centre (CPC) as Hub; Primary Processing Centres (PPC) and Collection Centres (CCs) as Spokes. It aims to create modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market with strong forward and backward linkages through a cluster-based approach. Common facilities and enabling infrastructure is created at Central Processing Centre and facilities for primary processing and storage is created near the farm in the form of Primary Processing Centers (PPCs) and Collection Centers (CCs). The Park will also provide direct and indirect employment to 5,000 persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas. Recently, two Mega Food Parks have been established- One at Roopangarh Village in Ajmer district of Rajasthan and other at Satara in Maharashtra.