Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) is implementing a central sector umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) for Post-Harvest Losses. Under component schemes of PMKSY, the Ministry provides financial assistance up to ₹15 crore, 35% of eligible project cost for projects in general areas & 50% of eligible project cost for projects in Difficult Areas as well as for projects of SC/ST, FPOs & SHG, for setting up food processing industries.
PMKSY is a comprehensive package of component schemes, it includes:
- Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (Cold Chain scheme)
- Operation Greens (OG scheme)- Long-term intervention
- Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Cluster (APC scheme)
- Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC scheme)
- Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages (CBFL scheme)
which aims at the creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. It provides a boost to the growth of the food processing sector in the country, helps in providing better prices to farmers, creates employment opportunities, especially in the rural areas, reduces wastage of agricultural produce, increases the processing levels, and enhances the export of processed foods.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been implementing the Central Sector Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure as one of the components of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana to reduce post-harvest losses of horticulture & non-horticulture produce and provide remunerative price to farmers for their produce.
The scheme provides for financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid 35% of eligible project cost for projects in General Areas and 50% of eligible project cost for projects in Difficult areas as well as for the projects of SC/ST, FPOs, and SHGs, subject to the maximum of Rs.10 Crore per project for setting up integrated cold chain projects, including irradiation facilities, without any break from the farm gate to the consumer. The details of many projects approved, completed, and capacity created under Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure.
The food processing infrastructure adds to the income of the farmers by significantly reducing wastage, better price realization, and providing better forward and backward linkages. The Cold Chain scheme is demand-driven and proposals are invited by the Ministry from across the country through floating Expression of Interests (EoIs) from time to time based on the availability of funds under the scheme.