To give impetus to food processing, Mukherjee said five more mega food parks would be established to provide latest infrastructure facilities, in addition to the 10 already being set up.

Mukherjee said that external commercial borrowings would be available for cold chain sector for preservation or storage of agricultural and allied produce, marine products and meat.

"Changes in the definition of infrastructure under the ECB policy are being made," the minister added. ECB is a form of debt raised overseas.

Listing the four-pronged strategy to spur growth in the farm sector, Mukherjee said the government would focus on raising agriculture production, reduction in wastage, credit support to farmers and thrust to the food processing sector.

"The first element of the strategy is to extend the green revolution to the eastern region of the country comprising Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Eastern UP, West Bengal and Orissa, with the active involvement of Gram Sabhas and the farming families. For the year 2010-11, I propose to provide Rs 400 crore for this initiative," he said.

The Finance Minister proposed to organise 60,000 "pulses and oil seed villages" in non-irrigated areas during 2010-11, in order to raise output of pulses and oilseeds where there is a deficit and country is dependent on import.