Q. With what purpose is the Government of India promoting the concept of "Mega Food Parks"? - To provide good infrastructure facilities for the food processing industry.
- To increase the processing of perishable items and reduce wastage.
- To provide emerging and ecofriendly food processing technologies to entrepreneurs.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below : (UPSC Prelims 2011)
Answer:
1, 2 and 3
Notes: The correct answer is
[D] 1, 2 and 3.The
Mega Food Park Scheme (MFPS) was launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) to address the "missing link" in India's agricultural supply chain. India is a top producer of several agricultural commodities, but a lack of infrastructure leads to massive post-harvest losses.
- 1. Infrastructure Facilities (Correct): The core of the "Park" concept is a "Cluster-based approach." It provides a central location with shared modern infrastructure like cold storage, warehouses, quality control labs, and packaging centers. This allows multiple food processing units to operate efficiently in one hub.
- 2. Reducing Wastage (Correct): India loses billions of rupees every year because perishable items (fruits, vegetables, dairy) rot before reaching the market. By placing processing units closer to the "collection centers" (near farms), the scheme ensures that perishables are processed into value-added products (like juice, pulp, or frozen snacks) immediately, drastically cutting down wastage.
- 3. Eco-friendly Technologies (Correct): The scheme incentivizes the use of modern, sustainable technologies. This includes advanced food safety standards, energy-efficient processing machinery, and common effluent treatment plants (CETP) to manage industrial waste responsibly.