Lok Sabha Question No. 1935 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-11
Subject: Setting up of Date, Palm and Dry Horticulture Processing Units
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1935

ANSWERED ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## SETTING UP OF DATE, PALM AND DRY HORTICULTURE PROCESSING UNITS

## 1935.   SHRI UMMEDA RAM BENIWAL:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  promoting  Date,  Palm  and  Dry  Horticulture  processing units in Western India;
- (b) if so, the details of steps taken by the Government in this regard so far including the details of schemes implemented, financial assistance provided and the States/districts in which processing units have been set up/approved in Western India;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  implement  or  launch  any  scheme  to  provide cashew saplings to farmers and promote cashew based horticulture and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether similar initiatives are being taken by the Government to promote similar Date, Palm  and  Dry  Horticulture  processing  units  in  other  drought-affected  areas  of  the country especially in Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Kutch, Saurashtra and Marathwada; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a)  &  (b): In  order  to  promote  and  ensure  overall  development  of  food  processing  sector including  processing  of  date,  palm  and  horticulture  based  industries,  Ministry  of  Food Processing Industries  (MoFPI)  has  been  incentivizing  setting  up/expansion  of  related infrastructure  through  its  two  Central  Sector  Schemes  namely  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) and Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry  (PLISFPI).  Further,  a  Centrally  sponsored  PM  Formalization  of  Micro  Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme is also being implemented by MoFPI. All these three schemes are implemented across the country including Western India. The number of projects approved under these schemes in Western India, since inception of the schemes, are as under-

|   S. No. | State/UT                            |   No. of approved projects under PMKSY |   No. of approved Micro Food Processing Enterprises under PMFME |   No. of approved applications at different locations under PLISFPI |
|----------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |                                      1 |                                                              12 |                                                                   0 |
|        2 | Goa                                 |                                      2 |                                                             137 |                                                                   1 |

|   3. | Gujarat     |   109 |   1010 |   32 |
|------|-------------|-------|--------|------|
|    4 | Maharashtra |   244 |  26172 |   41 |
|    5 | Rajasthan   |    55 |   1351 |    6 |

(c): As per the information provided by Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development, under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the said Directorate is implementing development schemes under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to promote cashew cultivation in the country. The details of programmes being implemented by said Directorate is given at Annexure.

(d)  &  (e): Ministry of Food Processing  Industries extends financial support to prospective entrepreneurs  for  setting  up  of  different  kinds  of  food  processing  industries  including processing of Date, Palm and horticulture based industries, as per respective scheme guidelines across the country including Vidarbha & Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and Kutch & Saurashtra regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Further,  one  processing  unit  has  been  established  at  Date  Palm  Research  Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agriculture University, Mundra- Kutch (Gujarat) as a Research initiative for the processing of Date with financial assistance of Rs. 74 lakh under Pradhan Mantri - Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1935 FOR ANSWER ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2025 REGARDING  'SETTING  UP  OF  DATE,  PALM  AND  DRY  HORTICULTURE PROCESSING UNITS'

## Cashew  development  schemes  of  Directorate  of  Cashewnut  and  Cocoa  development under MIDH

| Sl No   | Scheme                                                                                                                                                                      | Objective                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.      | Establishment of new plantation of cashew without integration with drip                                                                                                     | The development of new plantations with clones of high yielding varieties of cashew in the farmer's field has been envisaged under this programme.                                                        |
| 2.      | Establishment of cashew high density plantation                                                                                                                             | The development of new high density plantations with high yielding varieties of cashew in the farmer's field has been envisaged under this programme.                                                     |
| 3.      | Replantation of senile cashew plantation- i. Removal of senile plantations, ii. planting with high yielding varieties and iii. Cost of input towards INM/IPM and Irrigation | To increase the production and productivity of the senile plantations owned by the corporation in various states by removing the senile plantations and replanted with high yielding varieties of cashew. |
| 4.      | Establishment of demonstration plots with high density planting with drip Irrigation                                                                                        | To demonstrate the high-density planting technology of cashew with high yielding varieties in farmer's field/public farms with drip irrigation in a compact area of one ha.                               |
| 5.      | Establishment of demonstration plots with high density planting without drip irrigation                                                                                     | To demonstrate the high-density planting technology of cashew with high yielding varieties in farmer's field.                                                                                             |
| 6.      | Establishment of demonstration plots with high yielding variety in normal density with drip Irrigation                                                                      | To demonstrate the latest high yielding varieties in farmer's field/ public farms with drip irrigation.                                                                                                   |
| 7.      | Varietal demonstration with normal density without drip                                                                                                                     | To demonstrate the latest high yielding varieties in farmer's field/ public farms.                                                                                                                        |
| 8.      | Promotion of Integrated Nutrient Management/ Integrated Pest Management                                                                                                     | To improve the production and productivity of cashew and cocoa plantations by promoting INM/IPM practices                                                                                                 |
| 9.      | Establishment small cashew/cocoa nurseries                                                                                                                                  | Production and distribution of good quality planting material to meet the requirement of high yielding varieties for new planting and replanting of cashew in the country by establishing new nurseries   |
|         | 10.Upgradation/ modernization of existing nurseries (Nos)                                                                                                                   | To upgrade the infrastructure facilities of existing cashew/cocoa nurseries for ensuring the quality and                                                                                                  |

|                                                                                                                     | quantity of the planting materials, thereto meet the accreditation norms.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 11.Up-gradation of cashew nursery by establishing cashew mother block with drip irrigation and fertigation facility | To upgrade the nursery infrastructure by establishing mother block with high yielding varieties with drip irrigation and fertigation unit in research stations/SAU's/ICAR institutes/existing cashew nurseries.                                                                                 |
| 12.District level seminar                                                                                           | To give intensive publicity measures for promotion of cashew by dissemination of latest production technologies to the farming community and other target groups coming under the fold of cultivation, processing, marketing and export by organizing district level seminar in various states. |
| 13.Cashew fair/day                                                                                                  | To make aware the farmers/ public the importance, scope, latest technologies of cashew cultivation and to make it profitable enterprise by organizing mela/field day in different district/States                                                                                               |
| 14.Cashew apple utilization training for unemployed women farmers and young farmers                                 | To popularize the usage of cashew apple by giving training on preparation of cashew apple products to the unemployed women farmers and young farmers in association with research institutions.                                                                                                 |
| 15.Farmers training on cashew production technologies                                                               | Provides appropriate seasonal training to the farmers in various aspects of cashew and cocoa farming consisting of production technology, varieties, high density planting, organic cultivation, INM/IPM etc.                                                                                   |
| 16.Exposure visit- outside the state                                                                                | To expose tribal and other farmers from cashew growing districts of the States to the traditional growing districts of other States for familiarizing production and management practices being followed in the other states.                                                                   |
| 17.Exposure visit- within the state                                                                                 | To expose cashew growing districts of the States to the traditional growing districts within the states for familiarizing production and management practices.                                                                                                                                  |
| 18 . Establishment of primary/minimal processing unit of cashew                                                     | To establish primary/minimal processing unit of cashew.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |

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