PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme)

Introduction

As part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Government of India has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for ‘Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises’ to be implemented over a period of 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The total outlay of the scheme is Rs. 10,000 Cr. to be shared @ 60:40 by GoI and States/UTs. It has been estimated that there are nearly 25 lakh food processing enterprises in the country which are unregistered and informal. These enterprises contribute 74% of employment and 12% of output in the food processing sector. Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family run enterprises. The performance and development of this segment of the food processing industry is badly impacted due to i) limited skills and lack of access to modern technology and machinery for production and packaging; ii) deficient quality and food safety control systems, including lack of basic awareness on good hygienic and manufacturing practices; iii) lack of branding and marketing skills and inability to integrate with the supply chains; and iv) capital deficiency and low bank credit. The unorganized micro food processing units require intensive hand holding support for skill training, entrepreneurship, technology, credit and marketing across the value chain.

The aim of the ‘PM FME’ Scheme is to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector, and support Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups and Producers Co-operatives along their entire value chain for sorting, grading, assaying, storage, common processing, packaging, marketing, processing of agri-produce and testing laboratories.

The objective of the scheme is to build capability of microenterprises to have increased access to credit; integration with organized supply chain; transition into formal framework and increased access to common services like common processing facility, laboratories, storage, packaging, marketing and incubation services. The scheme envisages to directly assist 2,00,000 micro food processing units with credit linked subsidy.

Individual micro food processing units would be provided credit-linked capital subsidy @ 35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs. 10 lakh per unit. Under the group category, FPOs/Producer Cooperatives would also be provided credit linked subsidy @35% with a maximum ceiling to be prescribed by MoFPI in due course. The members of SHGs dealing in food processing would be provided this subsidy @35% with maximum amount being Rs. 10 lakh. SHG members would also given seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/-per member for working capital and purchase of small tools. The scheme adopts One District One Product (ODOP) approach to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. ODOP will provide the framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure. Existing individual micro units producing ODOP products would be given preference. However, units producing other products would also be supported. In case of capital investment by groups (FPOs/Producer Cooperatives), largely those involved in ODOP products would be supported.

FOR MORE DETAILS

Click Here