FUNDS TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE FOOD PROCESSING ENTREPRENEURS

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been incentivizing food processing entrepreneurs, including small and medium, to set up/expansion of related industries through its Central Sector Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) Scheme, Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and Centrally Sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme across the country. These schemes are not region or state-specific but demand-driven.

Under sub-schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI provides mostly credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) to entrepreneurs with a total outlay of Rs.5520 crores for the 15th Finance Commission Cycle. MoFPI has sanctioned 41 Mega Food Parks, 399 Cold Chain projects, 76 Agro-Processing Clusters, 559 Food Processing Units, 61 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects and 51 Operation Green projects under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY till 31st October 2024.

MoFPI also provides financial, technical and business support for setting up/ upgradation of micro food processing enterprises under PMFMEthe scheme. The scheme is operational from 2020-21 to 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs. 10,000 crores. A total of 1,08,580 micro-food processing enterprises have been approved for assistance under the PMFME Scheme till 31st October 2024.The

PLISFPI is, inter alia, intended to support the creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in the international market. The scheme is being implemented over a six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crores. 171 food processing companies have been approved for assistance under various categories of the scheme so far.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Shri Ravneet Singh Bhittu, in a written reply to Loksabha.