Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) recently signed a Joint Communique with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and 5 MoUs with TRIFED, ICAR, NSFDC, NAFED and NCDC defining convergence mechanism in implementation of PM FME scheme.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) recently signed a Joint Communique with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and 5 MoUs with TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), NSFDC (National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation), NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.) and NCDC (National Cooperative Development Corporation) defining convergence mechanism in implementation of PM FME scheme. MoFPI signed an agreement with Union Bank of India as a nodal bank for PM FME scheme. In another meeting chaired by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for FPI, 231 ODOP of 15 states and UTs were approved.
During the signing, Tomar said that the MoUs would help to provide employment and improve quality of life through schemes of the Government in priority areas. He said that small businesses could not progress without the help of government; so, they needed to receive government support. PM FME scheme had a total outlay of Rs 10,000 crores and Tomar expressed the hope that all organisations would function in a better way through the MoUs.
The joint communique would enable easier identification of tribal enterprises and groups in food processing sector including minor forest produce. The MoU with TRIFED would help to brand food products made by tribals under ‘TRIFOOD’ while the MoU with ICAR would help to share food processing technology, packaging and machinery developed in various organisations. The MoU with NSFDC would enable capacity building, training, research and development of SC entrepreneurs, SHGs and other groups in foor processing sector. The NAFED MoU would help to develop a new brand for ‘NAFED FOOD’ products and the NCDC MoU would help to prepare projects and detailed project reports of members of cooperative societies in food processing sector. Union Bank of India would help to transfer the subsidy received from Centre and states into loan accounts.
Photo Caption: The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Food Processing Industries, Narendra Singh Tomar and the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda witnessing the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding, in New Delhi on December 18, 2020. The Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Rameswar Teli is also seen. Photo Courtesy PIB.
