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The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to have at least one food park in each of the 13 districts, according to Secretary (Food Processing) Girija Shankar.
He was addressing the entrepreneurs here on Wednesday at a one-day seminar on the food processing sector organised by the Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation. He said the new Food Processing Policy (2015-20) was by far the most encouraging to the sector. Entrepreneurs should make full use of it to set up units in the State, he added.
At present, he said, there are more than 3,000 food processing units and two mega food parks in the State.
“We have already sanctioned seven food parks more and five or six may get the nod soon,” he added.
Job potentialGirija Shankar said the State government had identified the sector as one of the most promising for its potential to generate employment and because of the strong agricultural and horticultural base of the State. He said each mega food park would get a capital subsidy of 50 per cent of the cost, subject to a ceiling of ₹50 crore, and each integrated food park would also get a subsidy of 50 per cent of the cost, subject to a ceiling of ₹20 crore. Besides, there would be tax concessions and other exemptions.
He said that during the partnership summit earlier this year, 106 MoUs had been signed in the food processing sector, entailing an investment of roughly ₹6,000 crore and efforts would be made to ground all the projects. He said road shows had been conducted at several places to promote the State.
₹200-cr allotmentYS Prasad, CEO of AP Food Processing Society, said the State government had allocated ₹200 crore for the sector in the current budget and there would be no problem in providing the promised subsidies and incentives. Already, he said, in-principle sanction had been sanctioned for projects in the sector entailing investment of ₹8,000 crore.
Chief Secretary SP Tucker, who also participated in the seminar for a short while, said the State government would address the problems faced by the entrepreneurs and create a friendly atmosphere for investment.
P Bhaskara Rao, Executive Director of the Chamber, and G Sambasiva Rao, Vice-President, also spoke.
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