PM FME scheme offers golden opportunity to micro food entrepreneurs: Union minister

Union Minister of State forFood Processing Industries Rameswar Teli on Tuesday said thePradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food ProcessingEnterprises (PM FME) scheme offers golden opportunities tomicro food entrepreneurs.

The scheme aims to bring in new technology, apart fromaffordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate newmarkets.

Addressing a stakeholders meeting on food processinghere, Teli said, the entrepreneurs will benefit from thescheme, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over a period offive years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.

''It will surely address the challenges faced by microenterprises and help tap the potential of groups andcooperatives,'' he said.

Another central sector scheme, Pradhan Mantri KisanSAMPADA Yojana, will result in creation of moderninfrastructure, including mega food parks, integrated coldchain and backward and forward linkages, the minister said.

''It will not only provide a big boost to the growth offood processing sector in the country but also help increating huge employment opportunities and enhancing theexport of processed foods,'' Teli said.

Sanction has been given for setting up mini food parksat Tinsukia, Sonitpur and Vijaynagar, he said.

The minister urged business leaders to invest in thestate citing its locational advantage, conducive ecosystem,excellent incentives and subsidies under the North EastIndustrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) of the Centre and theindustrial policy of the state.

Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra MohanPatowary said, the agro-climatic conditions of the statefavour growth of a variety of fruits, vegetables and spiceswhich can help in setting up agro-processing industries.

The state has a surplus production of fruits andvegetables and has been exporting them to Abu Dhabi, Dubai,Kuwait, in the past few years.

Even during COVID-19 lockdown, the state had exportedconsignments of vegetables to the Middle East, he said.