Food processing scheme in rural Uttar Pradesh

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing the Central Sector Umbrella Scheme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) for the overall growth and development of the food processing sector, including the processing of agro- products. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 6000 crore for 2016-17 to 2019-20. The period has since been extended to FY 2020-21. The component schemes of PMKSY are

• Mega food park

• Integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure

• Creation or expansion of food processing and preservation capacities

• Infrastructure for agro-processing clusters

• Creation of backward and forward linkages

• Food safety and quality assurance infrastructure

• Human resource and institutions

• Operation Greens.

Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI offers mostly credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up food processing or preservation industries. PMKSY is not any region or state-specific but demand-driven and is implemented across the country, including the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. The ministry has approved 23 cold chain projects, 3 agro-processing clusters, 22 food processing units, 6 creation of backward and forward linkages projects, and 9 food test laboratory projects in Uttar Pradesh under corresponding component schemes PMKSY.

As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative, MoFPI is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme-PM formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing financial, technical, and business support for setting up or up-gradation of 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises through credit linked subsidy during five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.

Out of this, a total of 37826 units have been allocated to Uttar Pradesh, with an outlay of Rs 1731.60 crore for the next five years.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Mr Rameswar Teli, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 19 March 2021.