In India, the scheme for creation of infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana scheme, to incentivize setting up of agro processing clusters in the country, is being implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Under the scheme, processing or preservation infrastructure like cold storage, pre-cooling chambers, ripening chambers, IQF, specialized packaging, Food testing laboratory, cleaning, grading, sorting and packing facilities, steam generation boilers, warehouses etc. are being created as part of cluster approach for use of food processing units to be or being set up under these projects.
The Scheme envisages grants-in-aid @35% of eligible project cost in general areas and @50% of eligible project cost in the North East States (including Sikkim) and difficult areas namely Himalayan States/UTs (i.e. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand), State notified ITDP areas, Islands and SC/ST entrepreneurs subject to max. of Rs. 10 crore per project. Till date Ministry has approved 56 projects under the scheme.
Further, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing a separate scheme for development of Mega Food Parks (MFPs). So far, MoFPI has sanctioned 37 MFPs and given in-principle approval for 2 MFPs in the country.
