Maharashtra to get 42 food parks in 30 months

Maharashtra will soon have food parks at Wardha, Satara and Aurangabad with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in each, said Union minister for food processing, Harsimrat Kaur. She said that she has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding 100 per cent FDI in food industries. The food parks in Maharashtra are a part of 42 food parks proposed all over the state.

Ms Kaur was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Make in India Week event. “We have demanded 100 per cent FDI in the food industry so that food doesn’t go waste and the plight of farmers changes for the better. The scheme of food parks was launched in 2008 but only two parks were created during the Congress-NCP regime. We have set up five so far and three more will be soon functional,” she said. Ms Kaur added that three have been proposed in the state at Wardha, Satara and Aurangabad.

Betting on 100 per cent FDI, the minister said this would be a game changer for the country. “We are wasting food worth Rs 92,000 crore in the absence of proper transportation and processing. International brands can change this picture through food processing. No one will go hungry in the country and farmers will benefit the most,” Ms Kaur said. She refuted any possibility of international brands harming local retailers. “There is market for everyone. In my home state Punjab, Walmart has made its way by setting up 20 stores. But local retailers are unaffected,” she said.

Elaborating on the food parks, Ms Kaur said that Rs 5,000 crore would be invested on each and each was expected to generate 6,000 jobs. Also 25,000 to 30,000 farmers will benefit from them. The unskilled and illiterate can also get jobs in this industry, she claimed.

“I have been talking with foreign companies which are keen to set up food parks in the country. We will consider all stakeholders for the project and complete 42 parks in the next 30 months,” she said.