A.10. Major Schemes by the Government

UPSC Sample Notes [English]

A.10. Major Schemes by the Government

Vision 2015 for food processing	The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has sponsored a study to suggest a roadmap for the growth of the food processing sector. M/S Rabo Bank has conducted a study and submitted a Vision Document suggesting a strategy & action plan for the food processing sector in India namely Vision 2015. Vision Document suggested a strategy to ensure faster growth of the sector. The adopted Vision 2015 provides for enhancing the level of processing of perishables from 6% to 20%, enhancing value addition from 20% to 35%, and increasing India’s share in the global food trade from 1.5% to 3% by the year 2015. To achieve these targets, an investment of Rs.100 thousand crores was estimated by the year 2015, out of which Rs.10,000 crores was to come from the Government. Accordingly, the Ministry of FPI formulated its 11th Plan schemes to attract the required investment in the sector.
National Mission on Food Processing	The MOFPI launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme(CSS) – National Mission- on Food Processing (NMFP) on 1st April 2012 for implementation through States/UTs. The NMFP envisages the establishment of a National Mission as well as corresponding Missions at the State and District level. The basic objective of NMFP is the decentralization of implementation of food processing-related schemes to ensure substantial participation of State Governments/UTs. The mission is expected to improve the Ministry’s outreach significantly in terms of planning, supervision, and monitoring of various schemes apart from playing a more meaningful role in policy formation.
Mega food parks	The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims to provide a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors, and retailers to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers’ income, and creating employment opportunities, particularly in the rural sector. The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on the “Cluster” approach and envisages a well-defined Agri/ horticultural-processing zone containing state-of-the-art processing facilities with support infrastructure and a well-established supply chain.
Modernization of abattoirs	The scheme aims at providing facilities for scientific and less painful slaughtering, chilling, effluent treatment plants, by-product utilization, water, and power with required sanitary/phytosanitary conditions for the modernization of abattoirs. Modernization of abattoirs will also augment the essential supply base of hygienic raw materials to the meat processing industry, both for domestic consumption and exports, besides discouraging unauthorized slaughtering. The scheme of Setting up/ Modernization of Abattoirs provides for the induction of private capital, better technology, and backward and forward linkages. The scheme also provides for the implementation of projects preferably under PPP mode with the involvement of local bodies and has the flexibility for the involvement of private investors/exporters on a BOO/BOT/JV basis.
Cold Chain Infrastructure	The Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition, and Preservation Infrastructure aims to encourage the setting up of cold chain facilities to provide integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure facilities without breaking from the farm gate to the consumer.
R&D, QA, Codex, and Promotion	The scheme for Quality Assurance, Codex, R&D, and Other Promotional Activities is being implemented to create an infrastructure of food testing laboratories in the country to establish a quality monitoring system for food processing, implement HACCP/ISO22000, ISO14000/GHP/GMP, and other quality management systems and to promote research and development for innovative products and process etc.