Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Narendra Singh Tomar today virtually inaugurated the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme and launched the GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India.
Speaking on the occasion, Tomar said, “Under the PM-FME scheme, capacity building is an important component. The scheme envisages imparting training to food processing entrepreneurs, various groups such as self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer companies (FPOs), cooperatives, workers, and other stakeholders associated with the implementation of the scheme.” The minister observed the day as the beginning of a new initiative to encourage the micro-entrepreneurs.
In his keynote address, Rameswar Teli, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries, said, “The training of master trainers aims to benefit nearly eight lakh beneficiaries from micro-enterprises including members of farmer producer organisations, self-help groups, cooperatives, tribal communities, and others. The digital ODOP map provides detailed information about ODOP product to all stakeholders.”
According to MoFPI, under the capacity building component of the PM-FME scheme, training of the master trainers would be delivered through online mode, classroom lecture and demonstration, and self-paced online learning material. National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) are playing a key role by providing training and research support to selected enterprises, groups and clusters in partnership with state level technical institutions. The master trainers will train the district level trainers, who will train the beneficiaries. The current training is based on fruits and vegetable processing and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP). For this, subject experts from various national level institutions are holding various sessions. The assessment and certification of the training programme under the capacity building will be provided by Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI).
Under the PM-FME scheme, states have identified the food products of districts, keeping in view the availability of existing clusters and raw materials. The GIS ODOP digital map of India provides details of ODOP products of all the states and facilitate the stakeholders. The digital map also has indicators for tribal, SC, ST, and aspirational districts. It will enable stakeholders to make concerted efforts for its value chain development.
Salient features
Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the PM-FME scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganised segment of the food processing industry and promote formalisation of the sector and provide support to farmer producer organisations, self-help groups and producer cooperatives along their entire value chain. With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to directly assist the 200,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.
