Food Minister Inaugurated Food Park in Ulkiya Village, Chhattisgarh

The first Food Park in Ulkiya village of Sitapur Development Block of Surguja (Ambikapur) district was inaugurated on September 27, 2023, thanks to the initiative of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat. The State Government approved Rs 6 crore 27 lakh for the establishment of the new Food Park.

Key highlights of the news

According to the Food Minister, this Food Park will facilitate the processing of agricultural products, which will benefit the local people by generating new employment opportunities. 

The establishment of a food park requires basic facilities such as electricity, water, and transportation, and arrangements have been made to ensure that these requirements are met.

• District Collector Kundan Kumar confirmed that the ownership of 8.920 hectare area has been transferred from District Trade and Industry Center Surguja to CSIDC for the project. 
• The proposed new food park will provide about 60 plots of 3000, 5000, 7500, 10000 square feet area for the establishment of micro and small industries that will generate revenue to the government through various taxes. Overall, the establishment of this new food park will bring many benefits to the local community.

What are Food Parks?

Food Parks are industrial estates designed for food processing units, providing them with common facilities such as cold storage, cold chain, effluent treatment plant, warehousing, power connection, water facilities, and sewerage. These shared infrastructures are especially beneficial for small and medium scale units since they can be costly to set up individually. A common park with all the necessary facilities can aid in the growth of the food processing industry by minimizing wastage. The processing units to be established in the Mega Food Parks will be dependent on the raw materials available and the location of the park.