With a view to ensure processing of varieties of foods in Manipur, the Government of Manipur with support from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) decided to set up a food park at Nilakuthi, near Imphal, as the state is bestowed with varieties of pineapple, orange, lemon, kiwi, passion, gooseberry, ginger, turmeric, chillies, cardamom and cinnamon.
“The project which had started around 2000-2001 was not in progress due to lack of funds, but now with the clearing of financial commitments from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and other financial institutional assistance we have set up the food park,” Jai Kumar, MD, MFICL, informed FnB News in a chat over telephone.
Kumar highlighted that the park would constitute around 40 to 55 processing units and the necessary infrastructure such as cold storage, warehouse, workshops and weighbridge, and other common facilities like power and water supply would be made available.
He further informed that the interested entrepreneurs willing to set up processing units in the food park could avail loans from nationalised banks under approval of MoFPI.
Kumar adds that the park, which has been set up around nine to 10 km away from Imphal, has on offer 55 developed plots of 600 sq m each at a price of Rs 5.10 lakh.