Shirwal in Satara district, around 55 kilometre from Pune, will house the first mega food park in western India to be set up under the ministry of food processing industries' scheme in the 11th Five- Year Plan. The project is part of the central government's plan to launch 30 mega food parks in the country over the next five years. To be built at an estimated cost of Rs120 crore, the central government will contribute Rs50 crore towards the common facilities in the park, which is expected to leverage investment of about Rs500 crore in processing units. "The Western Agri Food Park is modelled on the lines of creation of a three-tier structure in food processing clusters in the country. It will cover activities related to backward integration like collection centres, primary processing centre, processing and market for agriculture products," upcoming food park's chairman Pradeep Chordia said.
Chordia Food Products Ltd is one of the main private partners in the project. The other partners are Pravin Masalewale, Akruti City, Ashoka Builders (Nashik) and Poona Dal and Besan Mills. While Chordia Food Products Ltd and Pravin Masalewale will have a 49% stake in the project, the rest would be shared with the other partners. The company is also planning to rope in farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as stakeholders. "We expect about 5,000 farmers to come under the mega food park venture. In the long run, we will even consider giving them a stake in the company," Chordia said, explaining that the park will be spread across 75 acres. "As per the plans, we will be setting up collection centres in Pune and Satara and have mobile collection centres for other locations," he said. Apart from benefiting farmers in the neighbouring districts, the park is expected to generate direct and indirect employment to over 15,000 people. Of the Rs120 crore investment, the company is investing about Rs20 crore for setting up a special knowledge centre of the Western Agri Food Park at Shindewadi on the outskirts of Pune. It would consist of a business centre, a conference incubation centre and a R&D centre. "Each year, our aim is assist 40 SMEs of the area in building their business through the incubation centre," Chordia said. At the incubation centre, farmers, women entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHGs) will be trained to later start their own food processing units.
The food park will ensure value addition in terms of minimum post-harvest loss along supply chain and establish sustainable raw material chain. It will also help in reduction of wastages, providing additional income to farmers in the area and assisting them to shift to market-driven farming. Some of the farm produce to be processed at the mega food park will be strawberry, sweet corn, mango and tomato.
Chordia Food Products Ltd is one of the main private partners in the project. The other partners are Pravin Masalewale, Akruti City, Ashoka Builders (Nashik) and Poona Dal and Besan Mills. While Chordia Food Products Ltd and Pravin Masalewale will have a 49% stake in the project, the rest would be shared with the other partners. The company is also planning to rope in farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as stakeholders. "We expect about 5,000 farmers to come under the mega food park venture. In the long run, we will even consider giving them a stake in the company," Chordia said, explaining that the park will be spread across 75 acres. "As per the plans, we will be setting up collection centres in Pune and Satara and have mobile collection centres for other locations," he said. Apart from benefiting farmers in the neighbouring districts, the park is expected to generate direct and indirect employment to over 15,000 people. Of the Rs120 crore investment, the company is investing about Rs20 crore for setting up a special knowledge centre of the Western Agri Food Park at Shindewadi on the outskirts of Pune. It would consist of a business centre, a conference incubation centre and a R&D centre. "Each year, our aim is assist 40 SMEs of the area in building their business through the incubation centre," Chordia said. At the incubation centre, farmers, women entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHGs) will be trained to later start their own food processing units.
The food park will ensure value addition in terms of minimum post-harvest loss along supply chain and establish sustainable raw material chain. It will also help in reduction of wastages, providing additional income to farmers in the area and assisting them to shift to market-driven farming. Some of the farm produce to be processed at the mega food park will be strawberry, sweet corn, mango and tomato.
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