From 6th-12th September 2021, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries is celebrating Food Processing Week as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, a celebration of 75 years of India’s independence.
In Morena, Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel, inaugurated a food processing plant operated by Sahara Frozen Foods, as part of the Central sector scheme (cold chain scheme) – Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.
Asserting that the new processing unit would be beneficial to everyone at the local level, Prahlad Singh Patel addressed the gathering. According to him, the ministry always gives priority to local farmers and regional crops and is working diligently to develop the food processing sector of India at full capacity.
Approximately 21.09 crores were spent on the project and a Grant in Aid of 10 crores was provided by the ministry of agriculture. According to the ministry, the unit would support about 700 direct and indirect jobs, as well as 1,000 farmers in the catchment areas of central processing centers (CPCs) and primary processing centers (PPCs).
The unit has IQF pre-processing lines for fruits and vegetables (F&V) – 4 MT/Hr, deep freezers/frozen storage – 4000 MT, modern racking (stacking) – 4000 MT, and two high reach equipment units. There are various facilities within the facility such as water treatment plants, water storage tanks, subsystems, fittings, and packing machines. Among the fruits and vegetables produced by this processing unit are frozen peas, mango pieces, and frozen cabbage.
In conjunction with the Food Processing Week, the success story of the beneficiary from the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, Mohit Kishor Khedikar of Madhur Bakery, was published on the Ministry’s social media platforms under the series “Atmanirbhar Enterprises. A seminar on opportunities for business in the bakery industry and confectionery under the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) was also organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Department of Industries, UT CHD in Chandigarh.
Under the PMFME scheme, around 1,498 self-help groups (SHGs) in Maharashtra have also received seed capital worth Rs. 5,41 crore, apart from the activities mentioned above.
