New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 6,520 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), a key government scheme aimed at boosting food processing and reducing agricultural waste. This funding covers the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 under the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
As part of the approval, Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated to set up 50 Multi-Product Food Irradiation Units and 100 NABL-accredited Food Testing Labs. These will be developed under two key components of the PMKSY scheme Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) and Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI) in line with the Union Budget announcement.
Nearly Rs 920 crore has already been allocated for various projects under the PMKSY during the 15th Finance Commission period. Both ICCVAI and FSQAI, two major components of the scheme are demand-driven, meaning funds are released based on project proposals received.
The Expression of Interests (EOIs) would be floated for inviting proposals from eligible entities across the country. The proposals received against the EOI would be approved after proper scrutiny as per the eligibility criteria, as per the extant scheme guidelines.
The implementation of the proposed 50 multi-product food irradiation units is expected to create a total preservation capacity ranging from 20 to 30 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) per annum, based on the type of food products irradiated under these units.
The setting up of the proposed 100 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories under the private sector will lead to the development of advanced infrastructure for testing food samples, thereby ensuring compliance with food safety standards and the supply of safe food. (With ANI Inputs)