The Hindu Business Line : Food processing park on cards

THE Goa Government is hoping to attract at least 20 units at its proposed food processing park, a pet project of the State Industries Minister, Mr Luizinho Faleiro.

Mr Faleiro, a former Chief Minister, who had mooted the idea of a food processing park during his earlier stint as industries minister in late 90s, is once again going all out to pursue it. His aim is generating employment for the youth. The project will be co-ordinated by state-owned Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), the nodal agency which has been given six months to prepare the project. The State also plans to have a tie-up with organisations such as Marine Products Export Development Authority which has the expertise on this subject.

He said the Union Industry Ministry has now assured to grant Goa Rs 50 crore under its industrial cluster scheme. Similarly, the Ministry for Food Processing has also extended its support for setting up the food processing park wherein the State will be entitled to infrastructure subsidies to the tune of Rs 4 crore. Quepem taluka in South Goa has been selected for setting up of the first zero-waste food processing park.

Under the plan, the park, which will be set up at Betul-Quitol in the hitherto industrially backward Quepem taluka, will house a refrigeration unit, warehousing unit, an irradiation unit, pollution control unit, packaging unit and a fish processing technology unit. It will also have quality control lab for which Central funding to the tune of Rs 50 lakh has also been assured. Similarly, finance to the tune of Rs 50 lakh is also in the offing for providing training in food processing.

The State Government's plan is that units which wish to enter the food processing park project will be entitled to 25 per cent outright subsidy or a ceiling of up to Rs 50 lakh, income-tax holiday for the first five years and other benefits subsequently. While the process for acquiring land at Quepem will begin shortly by the GIDC, the Union Government has agreed to sponsor the consultancy for the project, said Mr Faleiro.

Describing the food processing park project as resource based and a sunrise industry, Mr Faleiro pointed out that a variety of food items can be processed at the park, including fruits, vegetables, cashew, fish, meat, etc.

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