• The Prime Minister Formalisation of the Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) scheme was approved by the Cabinet in May, 2020 and the scheme guidelines were issued in June, 2020.

    • Ministry has launched MIS portal for submission of applications from individual micro food processing enterprises on 25th January, 2021.

    • As on 16th March, 2021, 1534 applications have been submitted. District Resource Person/ District Level Committee in the respective States/ UTs are scrutinizing the applications.

    • Online application module for groups i.e. SHGs, FPOs and Cooperatives for capital investment is under development phase. 

    • Offline applications have been invited from 7th January, 2021. Details of applications submitted/ approved are yet to be finalized by States/ UTs.

    • About 40,000 SHG members involved in food processing have been identified by SRLMs for Seed Capital.

    • SRLM is scrutinizing/validating the details of SHG members.

    • As per scheme guidelines, support for Seed Capitals will be provided to SHG members based on the recommendation of SRLM.

    • So far, the following capacity building measures have been undertaken under the Scheme:

        ◦ Comprehensive guidelines on Capacity Building were issued in November 2020.

        ◦ State Level Technical Institutes (SLTI) of 35 States/ UTs have been approved by the Ministry.

        ◦ Training of 334 Master Trainers has been conducted on EDP & various food products.

        ◦ 177 District Level Trainers have been trained in 9 States.

        ◦ NIFTEM & IIFPT have prepared training modules (ODOP) which have been published on the websites of MoFPI, NIFTEM, and IIFPT. 

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

    • Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in partnership with the States, has launched an all India centrally sponsored "PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme)" for providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

    • Objectives are:

        ◦ Support for capital investment for upgradation and formalization with registration for GST, FSSAI hygiene standards and Udyog Aadhar

        ◦ Capacity building through skill training, imparting technical knowledge on food safety, standards & hygiene and quality improvement

        ◦ Hand holding support for preparation of DPR, availing bank loan and upgradation

        ◦ Support to Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), producers cooperatives for capital investment, common infrastructure and support branding and marketing.

    • The scheme envisages an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.

    • The expenditure under the scheme would be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by the Center for other UTs.

    • Under the scheme, 2,00,000 micro food processing units will be directly assisted with credit linked subsidy.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)