CONTEXT:
Recently, the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries has attended the Independent Management Advisory Committee (IMAC) meeting to consider the proposals received under the Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster (APC) of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
MAIN POINTS:
- IMAC approved 7 proposals with a total project cost of Rs. 234.68 crore including grants-in-aid of Rs. 60.87 crore in Meghalaya, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
- These projects will leverage private investment of Rs. 173.81 crore and are expected to generate employment for 7750 persons.
PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJANA:
- In 2016, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) introduced an umbrella Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro- Processing Clusters (SAMPADA), which was proposed to be implemented with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crores for the period of 2016-20.
- In 2017, it was renamed as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
- It is a Central Sector Scheme.
Aim:
- To supplement agriculture.
- To create processing and preservation capacities.
- To modernise and expand existing food processing units with a view to increasing the level of processing.
- To add value leading to the reduction of wastage.
Mega Food Parks.
- Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure.
- Infrastructure for APC.
- Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages.
- Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities.
- Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure.
- Human Resources and Institutions.
Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster:
It was approved in May 2017 under the PMKSY, to incentivise the setting up of APCs in the country.
Aims:
- To develop modern infrastructure and common facilities to encourage a group of entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach by linking groups of producers/farmers to the processors and markets.
- These clusters will help in reducing the wastage of the surplus produce and add value to the horticultural/agricultural produce which will result in an increase of income of the farmers and create employment at the local level.
APC has two basic components:
- Basic Enabling Infrastructure like roads, water supply, power supply, drainage, etc.
- Core Infrastructure/Common Facilities like warehouses, cold storages, tetra pack, sorting, grading, etc.
CONCLUSION:
Under PMKSY, capital subsidy in the form of grants-in-aid ranging from 35% to 75% of the eligible project cost subject to a maximum specified limit is provided to investors under the various schemes for undertaking infrastructure, logistic projects and setting up of food processing units in the country.
SOURCE: PIB