11 June 2021, Chandigarh: Haryana Government under its Agriculture and Food Processing Policy, 2018 is providing a slew of incentives to support setting up of backward & forward linkages, cold chain infrastructure and food processing and contemporary packaging facilities in the Agro and Food Processing Sectors, particularly for horticulture products.
While giving this information here today, an official spokesperson said that the State Government has approved projects worth Rs 90 crore for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) recently including a Government grant of Rs 5.5 crore which shall be released for setting up state of the art food processing units under this ambitious policy.
He said that the State Government under the able leadership of the Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal, aims to create a holistic food processing ecosystem and enhance farmer income in the state. He said that this initiative will not only result in creation of robust infrastructure at farm level but will also lead to emergence of technologically advanced food processing units in Dairy and Horticulture sectors. The projects will lead to enhanced income for thousands of farmers as well as creation of employment opportunities for more and more people.
He said that the approved projects under the ambitious schemes like ‘Backward and Forward Linkages Scheme for Rural Areas’ and ‘Scheme for Creation and Expansion of Agro Processing Units’ include a first of its kind integrated packhouse for fruits and vegetables grown in Haryana that is coming up at HSIIDC Food Park in Sonepat as well as a modern milk processing plant at Charkhi Dadri.
The spokesperson said that while appreciating the approval of these projects, Deputy Chief Minister Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that “Farmers and MSMEs are an integral part of the economic landscape of the state and enabling them with suitable support is a major focus of the Government. These projects will result in strengthening both the industrial and agricultural ecosystem of the state,”
While approving the projects mentioned, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Chairman of the State Level Food Processing Committee, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, said that “This is a first of its kind policy by a state that aims to provide incentives to promote investments and generate employment opportunities across the agro-processing value chain”.
Director General, MSME, Sh. Vikas Gupta, said that 15 projects worth more than Rs 195 crore have been approved so far under this policy, which includes government grant component of Rs 28 crore and private participation of more than Rs 165 crore. He said that these projects would benefit more than 8000 farmers of the state and employment opportunities would be created for more than 2000 people.
