Question : Processing of Agro-Products in Rural Areas

(a) whether the Government has prepared any long term scheme for processing of agro products in the rural areas of Maharashtra?

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is providing credit linked financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing / preservation industries;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government is planning to propose such type of project to come up in the larger banana growing belt of the northern part of Maharashtra State, if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
(SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (e): The Ministry of Food Processing industries (MoFPI) has been implementing Central Sector Umbrella Scheme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) for overall growth and development of food processing sector across the country including rural areas of Maharashtra. Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI provides mostly credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing / preservation industries. So far, Ministry has approved a total of 3 Mega Food Parks, 62 Cold Chain projects, 12 Agro Processing Clusters, 39 Food Processing Units, 12 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects & 26 Food Test Laboratories in Maharashtra for assistance under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY.

As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative, MoFPI is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme-PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing financial, technical and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises based on One District One Product (ODOP) approach 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 20130 units have been allocated to Maharashtra with an outlay of Rs 921.53 crore. Banana has been approved as ODOP for Dhule & Jalgaon Districts of Maharashtra.

In the budget speech for 2021-2022, Government has announced expansion of scope of “Operation Greens scheme” from Tomato, Onion & Potato (TOP) to 22 perishable products, so as to boost value addition in agriculture and allied products. Banana has been included in these perishables.
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