In an effort to implement the ‘farm-to-fork’ model through modern retail, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a mega food park in Tumkur, Karnataka, on Wednesday. The park is being promoted under public-private partnership by Future Retail in association with Capital Foods and Sattva Developers.
Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that Future Group has over 4,000 retail shops under the brand name of Big Bazaar. Through this retail chain, the park will help industry act as a bridge between farmers and consumers. This park is also an example of providing linkage between farmers and retail chain without depending upon foreign investment in multi-brand retail.
Though FDI in retail, especially for perishable items such as fruits and vegetables, would be helpful in creating cold storage and infrastructure besides modern retail, Badal said the policy would be a Cabinet decision and no single Ministry could change that. However, Indian industry was allowed to set up modern retail chains and mega food parks would help them further, she added.
Addressing a press conference to list the achievements of her Ministry during the first 100 days of the Government, Badal said that the approval for setting up 17 mega food parks would be given in the next few months which is expected to fetch an investment of over ₹2,100 crore.
The scheme is based on a cluster approach and a ‘hub and spoke’ model. It aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processing industry backed by an efficient supply chain, which includes collection centres, central processing centre and cold chain infrastructure.
Based on a policy formulated in 2008, the Government has so far sanctioned 42 projects, of which 25 are under implementation. Projects in Haridwar (Uttrakhand) and Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) have already become operational, while Fazilka (Punjab), Jangipur (West Bengal) and Khargone (Madhya Pradesh) will be completed by the year end. The Ministry is now planning to come out with a new policy.
Inflation managementIn order to help the Government in inflation management, the Ministry has asked CIPHET to study wastage, covering 146 crops in 106 districts of the country. The report is expected by January.
According to the Minister, the previous study of 2009-10 estimated a 6-18 per cent wastage of perishables due to lack of proper infrastructure in storage and transportation, causing loss of approximately ₹44,000 crore.