TNPSC Current affairs April 2017 12 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs April 2017

Union Government to launch SAMPADA scheme for food processing

Union Government going to launch Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA) for Food Processing. It was said by Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal . The Scheme aimed to  combine both current and new schemes  in reducing food wastage and double the income of farmers by 2022.

Importance of Scheme:

• The main objective of the scheme is to improving the entire food supply chain.
• It will create three schemes like Creation, Expansion of Food processing and Preservation Capacities, New Agro-Processing Clusters and Backward and Forward Linkages are on anvil.
• Scheme is also to bring down post harvest losses preferably to zero level, provide quality food to consumers at cheaper price and for doubling of farmers' income  by boosting Food processing sector.
• To improve Food Processing sector the union Government has  sanctioned 42 mega food parks and 234 cold chain projects with 139 lakh tonnes of preserving and processing capacity of agro-produce worth Rs 35,000 crore. 
• This Food Parks will prevent ,  post harvest losses estimated as 90,000 crore annually.