Union minister Chirag Paswan inspects mega food park project in Arunachal

In a strategic move to bolster agro-industrial infrastructure in the Northeast, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Chirag Paswan, visited the under-construction Mega Food Park in Bandardewa, Arunachal Pradesh. The visit marks a pivotal moment in the government’s push to enhance value-added agricultural production and regional employment.

Minister Paswan was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, along with key stakeholders, including the project’s lead promoter Likha Maj. During the visit, the Minister took stock of the project’s progress and emphasized the Centre’s commitment to promoting sustainable and technologically advanced food processing industries across the region.

The Mega Food Park, spread across 75 acres, is designed as a multi-functional agro-industrial hub focusing primarily on fruit-based processing and waste-to-wealth innovations. Once operational, the facility is expected to handle around 70,000 metric tons of raw materials each month, significantly boosting local agricultural productivity and farmer incomes.

Beyond its core fruit-processing units, the park also integrates a holistic agro-ecosystem featuring:

200 hectares of rubber plantations

100 hectares of Thailand seedless lemon cultivation

Integrated livestock farms including piggery, goat farming, freshwater fisheries, and duckery

This diversified model is aimed at maximizing land productivity while fostering entrepreneurship, food innovation, and rural employment.

Minister Paswan lauded the project as a “model for Northeast India”, highlighting its potential to transform Arunachal into a leading player in India’s food processing sector.