Fact Box: SAMPADA Scheme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved re-structuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme called as SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the time period 2016-20.

Salient Highlights

SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) such as Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, etc. It will also incorporate the new schemes like Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, as well as Creation / Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities.
SAMPADA with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crore is expected to benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5,30,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities in the country by the year 2019-20.
The objective of SAMPADA is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing of agri products and decrease their wastage.

Significance

The new umbrella scheme gives renewed thrust to the food processing sector in the country. It aims to develop modern infrastructure to facilitate entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach and provide effective and seamless backward and forward integration for processed food industry. It proposes to achieve this by plugging gaps in supply chain and development of infrastructure facilities for processing and preservation and modernization of existing food processing units. As a result, SAMAPADA will result in the creation of modern infrastructure coupled with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to a retail outlet. It would provide better prices to farmers and would help in doubling their incomes. Implementation of the scheme will result in creating huge employment opportunities, especially in rural areas. From the perspective of the consumer, it would promote the availability of safe and convenient processed foods at an affordable price.

Other initiatives to boost Food Processing industry

• The government has allowed 100% FDI in trading including through e-commerce with respect to food products manufactured and produced in India.
• The Governments has created a Special Fund of Rs. 2000 crore in NABARD to provide credit at the concessional rate of interest to designated food parks and agro-processing units in the designated food parks.
• Food and agro–based processing units and cold chain infrastructure have been placed under the ambit of Priority Sector Lending (PSL).

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017