Shillong, Feb 27: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is setting up one thousand micro food processing units in Meghalaya. These units will be set up as part of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation Micro Food Processing Entrepreneur Scheme at a cost of Rs 47 crore all across Meghalaya.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing and the BJP MP from Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency, Rameswar Teli said, “…under Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Rs 10 thousand cr has been sanctioned to the ministry of food processing and with this financial assistance we have decided to build up 2 lakh industries all over the country whose name is Pradhan mantri formalisation micro food processing entrepreneur scheme and under this scheme in Northeast we get 10 percent which means 20,000 small units will be set up in Northeast in these eight states and Meghalaya will get 1000 units while Assam will get 13,000, the sanction is granted in view of the existing population. and under this scheme, we will work for 5 years and of the state Rs 47 cr. will be allocated. ”

Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM-FME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.

With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

Rameswar Teli on Friday said the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme offers golden opportunities to micro food entrepreneurs.

Stating that the Government has already begun its work in this direction, the Minister said, “We have asked each and every state to provide one district one product list, and eventually we have received a list from the Meghalaya Government as well and thereby in each district for a particular product we will set up 20-25 units in each district.”
The scheme aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets.

Asked about cold storage he said, “Our job is to set up food processing unit, but as you are asking about the cold storage, it comes under the agriculture department and we are having talks with them about making cold storage in Northeast, so from our ministry we think where our perishable food items and fruits are we need to keep them in cold storage.”

“..For this we are discussing and soon we will take a decision to build up several cold stores in Northeast,” the minister added.

He further informed that for this, Government will spread awareness through advertisement which will be done by Mary Kom and Hima Das and the Ministry will provide funds to the state government for advertisement.

Talking about another central sector scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, will result in creation of modern infrastructure, including mega food parks, integrated cold chain and backward and forward linkages, the minister said.

“…in Assam we have our Mega food park , and in Manipur we have given sanction and also sanction is given to Arunachal pradesh , Meghalaya there was no mega food park and no sanction was also granted to Meghalaya, around a month back we have decided that a mega food park will be constructed in Meghalaya as well where we need 150 bighas land and in Mendipathar this mega food park will be built,” Teli informed.

The Mega Food Park project for Meghalaya has been approved by the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) at a cost of Rs 65.25 crore as the financial support will be provided by the Ministry.

Interestingly, while usually, the Union Food Processing Ministry entrust its project of building up of Mega Park to private players, here in the state the Government of Meghalaya is entrusted the same.

He further said, “This mega food park will have 25 units.”

Similarly, he informed that two-unit were sanction for Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya in which an amount of Rs 13 cr which is already given to the state.