Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the mega food park of KSIDC at Cherthala on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The marine products export sector in Kerala will be strengthened, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was inaugurating a mega food park set up by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) at the Industrial Growth Centre at Pallippuram, near Cherthala, on Tuesday.
Mr. Vijayan said that Kerala had accounted for 14% of India’s seafood exports. “The Fisheries department is making efforts to improve fishing techniques using scientific methods like in countries such as Norway. The government will set up laboratories in four airports to check the quality of food items exported from the State,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the government would initiate steps to promote the making of value-added products to ensure the growth of the food-processing sector.
The mega food park is expected to give a fresh impetus to the food-processing sector in the State, especially to the seafood processing and marketing sector. Once fully operational, the park would garner an investment of ₹1,000 crore and generate about 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. The park is coming up on 84.05 acres of land at a cost of ₹128.49 crore, with equity contribution from the KSIDC/State government worth ₹72.49 crore, grant-in-aid of ₹50 crore from the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries under the Mega Food Park Scheme, and the rest bank loan. The project’s first phase, which was launched by the Chief Minister, was set up on 68 acres of land.
31 units
According to KSIDC officials, plots have already been allotted to 31 units, mainly those in sectors like seafood and other food processing and packing units. Of these, 12 units have started operations, providing employment to 600 people.
Apart from basic infrastructure, the park is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as cold storage, deep freezer, deboning centre, waste treatment plant, warehouse and standard design factory common facility centre. Primary processing centres to be set up at Thoppumpady, Vypeen and Munambam will be connected to the park.
Officials said that work on the second phase of the project (16 acres) was progressing. A sum of ₹100.84 crore has been expended so far for the construction of the park.
A video message by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras was shown at the event. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve presided. Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, A.M. Ariff, MP, Daleema Jojo, MLA, and others were present at the function.