AGRO INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR
Tamil Nadu is the state in India to have all its districts covered under industrial corridor projects.
It is aimed at development of futuristic industrial cities in Tamil Nadu which can compete with the best manufacturing and investment destinations in the world.
Tamil Nadu is a leading global hub for agri-commodities so the agro-industrial corridor project should be given more focus, Agro-Industrial Corridor especially in the Cauvery Delta.
Cauvery delta area covering Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Trichy districts agro products like rice, pulses, banana and coconut, are produced throughout the year, so small industries like rice mills, oil mills, coir units and pulses processing units that use the agricultural products of this region to produce value added products can be promoted in large numbers.
It will greatly contribute to the welfare of this region’s farmers and agricultural labourers.
Agro-Industrial Corridor in Cauvery Delta will bring prosperity to this region’s farmers and agricultural labourers.
This Corridor will promote agro-based industries in these districts by plugging infrastructure gaps, creating new industrial infrastructure and attracting private investments to the region.
The MSME will improve the existing ones and create new industrial estates, improve road connectivity to have better linkage with markets and ports and augment power supply infrastructure.
Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of rice, maize, sugarcane, mango, banana, turmeric, coconut, groundnut, cashew, tea, coffee, dairy, egg and poultry.
Tamil Nadu contributes to 8 per cent of India’s total food processing output and has
the 2nd highest number of registered food processing units in the country.
The current level of processing of agricultural commodities is less than 2 per cent in
Tamil Nadu, and the state envisagesi increasing the percentage of processed food. Tamil Nadu has a strong network of agricultural colleges, research centres under TNAU - a globally renowned agricultural university that provides talented human resources. With its potential and resources, Tamil Nadu has established eight agro-processing clusters and six mega food parks.
It aims to increase farmer’s income, prevent food wastage and bring more valueaddition to farm products.
What is an industrial corridor?
• An industrial corridor is basically a corridor consisting of multi-modal transport services that would pass through the states as main arteries.
• Industrial corridors offer effective integration between industry and infrastructure, leading to overall economic and social development.
Industrial corridors constitute world-class infrastructure, such as:
1. High-speed transportation network – rail and road.
2. Ports with state-of-the-art cargo handling equipment.
3. Modern airports.
4. Special economic regions/industrial areas.
5. Logistic parks/transhipment hubs.
6. Knowledge parks focused on catering to industrial needs.
7. Complementary infrastructure such as townships/real estate.
Significance of Industrial corridors:
Enhanced connectivity of industrial hubs with hinterland and ports will particularly help increase the participation of Indian manufacturing in global production networks and global value chains, thereby creating jobs along the corridor.