Guwahati: The Northeast has 94,582 unregistered/ unincorporated food processing enterprises. Minister of State for in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel furnished this reply in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

As per the Annual Survey of Industries, 2015-16 and 73rd Round Survey of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), there are about 25 lakh unregistered/ unincorporated food processing enterprises in the country.

The minister said as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan - Vocal for Local Initiative in the food processing sector, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing a centrally sponsored "PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme" for providing financial, technical and business support for setting up / upgradation of micro food processing enterprises in the country.

The scheme is operational for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore. Scheme primarily adopts the 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. It provides the framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure.

The PMFME scheme is designed to address the challenges faced by the micro-enterprises and to tap the potential of groups and cooperatives in supporting the upgradation and formalization of these enterprises. The scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness of new and existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote the formalization of the sector.

Capacity building and training are a critical components of the scheme in the technical upgradation and formalization of micro food processing enterprises. The focus areas for capacity building are entrepreneurship development, compliance of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) standards and general hygiene, and other statutory compliances. District Resource Persons (DRPs) have been entrusted to provide handholding support to micro food processing enterprises for compliance of FSSAI and other statutory requirements.