Six food parks planned in India
exports threefold within five years by setting up six exclusive
food parks in different parts of the state.
The Indian state of Karnataka aims to increase its food processing exports threefold within five years by setting up six exclusive food parks in different parts of the state.
Karnataka's Large and Medium Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande announced that infrastructure was already in place at Malur and Bagalkot sites, while Jewargi and Belgaum were progressing. "Our exports are now worth Rs 1,500 crore (€320,000). In five years, we are aiming at Rs 5,000 crore," Patil added.
The Centre has already given permission for Malur and Bagalkot parks, with Jewargi in the planning stages. "There is no problem in sanctioning the remaining three also. Karnataka will become a model state for the rest of the country, if it implements all six parks," Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chaman Lal Gupta said after chairing a meeting on food parks in all the southern states.
Union Food Processing Secretary D.P. Tripathi said Madhya Pradesh, with four sanctioned parks, topped the list presently, with Karnataka at number two with three sanctioned parks. A total of 29 parks have already been sanctioned all over the country, with proposals for more pending, he added.
Gupta said he was urging industry to take up food processing in a big way as Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha had abolished the entire 16 per cent excise tax on the products. "I had also urged Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to waive the sales tax on these products. I am happy this element has been included in the state's agri-food processing policy, to be announced shortly," he added.
Agriculture Minister T.B. Jayachandra said all products from the food parks would be cleared by the Central Food Training and Research Institute in Mysore, which has a special lab funded to the tune of Rs 10 crore by the Centre.
Tripathi said the CFTRI lab meets the international food standards set up by the Codex Alimentarius - an organisation under the FAO and WTO. "It will set the export standards. In the case of the local market, some of the rules might be relaxed," he added.
