New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has resulted in a significant reduction in wastages in vegetables, dairy and fisheries sectors, apart from some benefits in other sectors as well, according to a NABARD study.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) since 2016-17 to create post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities to boost the overall development of the food processing sector including reduction in post-harvest losses, according to information tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State, Ravneet Singh.
The component schemes under PMKSY provide credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation infrastructure which, inter-alia, includes cold storages and refrigerated vehicles to minimize post-harvest losses.
PMKSY was envisaged as a comprehensive package which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.
It aims to not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also improve the capacity of food processing units which help in providing better returns to farmers and creating employment opportunities especially in the rural areas, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of processed foods.
Apart from MoFPI, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has also launched the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Scheme in July 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package in order to improve post-harvest infrastructure and create community farming assets. The AIF Scheme facilitates sanction of medium to long term loans by Banks and other lending institutions for the setting up of cold storage facilities, warehouses and processing units, aimed at reducing crop wastage and enhancing value addition, the minister said.
Besides, the Food Corporation of India is implementing an action plan for construction of steel silos on PPP (public private partnership) mode to upgrade and modernise storage facilities in the country. Under this plan, Silos with capacity of 24.25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) at various locations throughout the country are under implementation. Out of which, silos with a capacity of 17.75 LMT have been completed and remaining 6.5 LMT are under various stages of development.
In addition to above, silos of 5.5 LMT capacity at 7 locations have already been constructed and put to in use in 2007-09 under circuit base model. Further, under phase–I of hub and spoke model silos of 10.125 LMT at 14 locations on FCI-owned land have been awarded and 24.75 LMT at 66 locations on private land have been awarded and are in the development stage, the minister added.
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