Lok Sabha Question No. 806 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Training and Infrastructural Support
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 806

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## TRAINING AND INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT

806.   DR. T. SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि और षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to support smart protein/alternative protein manufacturing hubs with backward linkages to indigenous crops such as millets, pongamia, chickpeas,  seaweed,  peas  and  other  lentils  that  would  diversify  the  global  inputs  for innovative applications in food;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details about the training for cultivation, harvest and post-harvest processing and quality control being provided; and
- (d) the details about infrastructural support that will be  provided  for post-harvest management and market linkages?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि और षकसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  and (b): In order to ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries in the country including millet based protein/ alternative protein produce & nutraceuticals, Ministry of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  supports  the  setting  up/  upgradation  of  such Industries  through  grants  in  its  Central  Sector  Umbrella  Scheme  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), and Centrally sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing  Enterprises  (PMFME)  Scheme.  Apart  from  this  Production  Linked  Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) is, inter alia, intended to support creation of  global  food  manufacturing  champions  and  support  Indian  brands  of  food  products  in international market.
- (c): Under PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, 42  State  Level  Technical  Institutions  (SLTIs)  of  35  States/  UTs  are  approved  for entrepreneurship development in post-harvest processing. A total of 22159 beneficiaries have been trained till date.
- (d): To  strengthen  the  infrastructural  support  available  to  the  food  processing  sector, MoFPI extends Grant-in-Aid to any private organization/ entity or Government organization intending to set up/ upgrade Food Testing Laboratory (FTL) through its FTL Scheme under Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana. Under this scheme, a total of 184 FTL projects have  been  approved.  MoFPI  also  extends  Grant-in-Aid  to  educational  and  research institutions  including  Council  of  Scientific  &  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  recognized  R&D units  in  private  sector  for  related  demand  driven  R&D projects  through  its  R&D  scheme under PMKSY.

ICAR under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare also supports entrepreneurs by providing incubation facilities for post-harvest management and market linkages through Agri-Business Incubation Units (ABIs) established in different Institutes.

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