The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for re-structuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new central sector scheme – SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the period 2016-20.
SAMPADA with an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore is expected to leverage investment of Rs 31,400 crore, handling of 334 lakh MT agro-produce valuing Rs 1,04,125 crore, benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5,30,500 direct or indirect employment in the country by the year 2019-20.
The objective of SAMPADA is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease agri-waste. It is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes of the ministry like mega food parks, integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure, food safety and quality assurance infrastructure, etc.
The SAMPADA includes new schemes of infrastructure for agro-processing clusters, creation of backward and forward linkages and creation or expansion of food processing & preservation capacities aim at development of modern infrastructure to encourage entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach, provide effective and seamless backward and forward integration for processed food industry by plugging gaps in supply chain and creation of processing and preservation capacities and modernization or expansion of existing food processing units.
