New Delhi, Aug 1 (KNN)  In a move to remove difficulties in agricultural and process food products, APEDA will be conducting a study as to how to remove bottlenecks and improve infrastructure for the farm products.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an apex organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, is mandated with the responsibility for promotion and development of the export of agro products from India.
 
APEDA is now keen to engage a Retainer to assist in appraisal and evaluation of detailed project reports concerning agri infrastructure facility and in identification of prospective projects to be supported under the component of infrastructure development of its XII Plan Scheme.
 
Under the scheme for infrastructure development, assistance is provided for establishment of common infrastructure facilities; purchase of specialised transport units for animal products horticulture and floriculture sector; setting up of sheds for intermediate storage and grading / storage / cleaning operation of produce; and setting up of mechanized handling facilities such as sorting, grading, washing, waxing, ripening, packaging and palletisation, etc.
 
Assistance is also provided for setting up of both pre cooling facilities with proper handling system as well as cold storage for storing; providing facilities for treatment such as fumigation, X-ray screening and other screening/detection equipment, hot water dip treatment, Water softening Plant; setting up of integrated post harvest-handling system (pack houses with any two or more of the above facilities); setting up of cable cars (covering minimum of 50 ha of plantation) for banana and other crops (as decided by APEDA); and setting up of vapour heat treatment, electronic beam processing or irradiation facilities.
 
In addition, assistance is provided for setting up of environment control system e.g. pollution control, effluent treatment etc;
 
As far as fresh and processed horticultural produce is concerned, assistance is provided for setting up of specialized storage facilities such as high humidity (Relative humidity more than 95 per cent) cold storage deep freezers, controlled atmosphere (CA) or modified atmosphere (MA) storage etc.  (KNN/ES)