Uttar Pradesh

• 19 May 2022

Five Year Action Plan/Roadmap for Horticulture and Food Processing

Why in News?

• On May 17, 2022, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya laid down a five-year action plan/roadmap for the Department of Horticulture and Food Processing and directed to open 17 regional food safety and testing laboratories within the stipulated time frame.

Key Points

• Under this, a target has been set up to set up 45 equation centres and 11 mega food/agro processing clusters to boost the food processing sector.
• As per this roadmap, 41,336 units will be set up/upgraded under the Pradhan Mantri Micro Food Industries Upgradation Scheme. Under the scheme, 70% of the existing enterprises will be upgraded/expanded and 30% of the new enterprises will be set up as per the ODOP selected for the district.
• At the same time, the provision for setting up of 375 large units under the Food Processing Industry Policy has also been included in this roadmap.
• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana is being implemented by the Central Government to promote the food processing sector under which projects such as Mega Food Park, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, creation of infrastructure for agro processing clusters, creation/expansion of food processing and preservation capacity, construction of backward and forward linkages are conducted.