The organization 'Right To Protein' has also expressed its support for the initiative. The conference will bring together plant-protein enthusiasts and industry leaders to discuss the importance of India becoming a 'Ingredients Hub' for plant-based foods and creating an ecosystem that supports the growth of the plant-based food industry.

 

Technical discussions on flavour and texture, as well as the role of plant-based dairy innovations, will be held at the event. Dr. Sudhanshu, Secretary of APEDA; Sanoj Jha, Addl. Secretary of MoFPI; Pradeep Singh Kharola, Chairman & Managing Director of ITPO; VK Vidyarthi, General Manager of APEDA; Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General of Ph.D. Chamber; Gaurav Marya, President of Franchise India; Nitin Verma, Counsellor Agriculture of High Commission of Canada in India; and Ramkumar PS, Regional Commercial Director are among the keynote speakers.

 

'The goal is to cultivate, develop, and mainstream the plant-based foods industry and to assist India in achieving the Net Zero Carbon Emissions goal by 2070, moving closer to the Sustainable Development Goals,' said Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director of PBFIA. The 'Dawn of a Plant-Based Age' conference is an important step towards collectively driving initiatives for food and nutritional security. We are thrilled to receive strong support from many industry leaders and initiatives and collaborators, including the health awareness initiative 'Right To Protein'. I encourage both industry and citizens to participate in this critical conversation and contribute to a more sustainable future for all.'

 

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) present the conference, which is co-organized by Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) and PHD Chamber. The conference is supported by Franchise India and powered by US-SOY, with Ernst & Young as Knowledge Partners, Brenntag as the Principal Sponsor, and ‘Right To Protein’ as a Sponsor. The conference also serves as a warm-up for the upcoming global Soy Month celebrations in April, which aim to eliminate protein deficiency by educating and emphasising the role of soy as a complete protein source.

 

The Plant Based Foods Industry Association was founded in 2009. Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) is an apex, CEO-led body that has 100 members in its first year of existence. PBFIA promotes the development of a robust ecosystem for the plant-based foods industry in India through strategic collaborations, the formation of stakeholder networks, the facilitation of research to improve the sector's capabilities, and the advocacy for positive policymaking and the dissemination of key trends and information in the interests of its members.

 

'Right To Protein' is a public health awareness initiative that aims to educate citizens on the importance of adequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health, and well-being. The #RightToProtein initiative aims to increase knowledge of various protein sources, both animal and plant protein-based, in order to meet larger nutritional goals.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the largest and most comprehensive research institute in the world. The progress made by the institute so far is commendable. Be it achieving production targets, increasing productivity or meeting the challenge of producing climate-resilient crops, our agricultural scientists have played a vital role in every field. Consolidating upon the traditional farming since ancient times, along with the hard work of farmers, the research of scientists has proved to be a milestone in the progress witnessed in the agriculture sector. So far this journey has been satisfactory, but it is our aim to overcome the challenges during the Amrit Kaal to bring the country in the comity of developed nation by the year 2047.

 

Union Minister Shri Tomar said this while addressing the 94th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society. He said that India's supremacy in the Agriculture sector is increasing all over the world, along with this the expectations from us are also rising. The target is to build a New India by 2047. New India needs new science, research, new skills and innovation because tomorrow belongs to New India. For this, the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, is working on the basis of new principles. ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ is our main mantra, without leaving anyone behind, keep marching towards the goal. Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had given the slogan – ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee added ‘Vigyan’ to this slogan and our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has also added ‘Anusandhan’ to it. It has become a mantra for us – ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan’.

 

Shri Tomar said that the overall and balanced development of the country is being taken forward. When it comes to overall development, the Agriculture sector is like the backbone of the country. It is our responsibility to develop it. Various challenges like Climate Change are before us today. We are also facing the challenge of damage caused to the standing crops of the farmers due to natural disasters. In New India, we have to reach out to all the farmers with new technology and research. The income of the farmers has to be raised, prosperity has to be brought to their homes and the villages and the Agriculture sector has to be made prosperous, all of which has to be accomplished jointly.

 

The Union Agriculture Minister said that Rs. 4 lakh crore worth of agricultural exports has been achieved, which is the highest ever. In the coming times, our products of Natural and Organic Farming are going to become more popular in the world. There is a need to work with the belief that our exports will increase further in the future. Along with this, our concern has to be to ensure the quality of the production meets the global benchmark. The government's emphasis is on Natural Farming. Prime Minister Shri Modi urges that we should promote Natural Farming i.e. cow based farming. Let the focus be on ‘waste to wealth’. We should strive to improve the quality and hygiene of our products. The Agriculture Minister said that the year 2023 has been declared as the International Year of Millets (Shree Anna). The Prime Minister is going to formally launch the programme on 18th March. The International Year of Millets is not just an event but a big project to increase the production, productivity and market of Shree Anna. The consumption and popularity of Shree Anna is also increasing through the programs being organized across the country. With the popularity of Shree Anna gaining across the world, when the consumption will increase, then the responsibility of supplying it will also rest with India since we are the largest producer of Shree Anna. Scientists need to pay attention to this aspect too.

 

In his address, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala praised the commendable effort put forth by ICAR in developing indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVac for defence against the Lumpy Skin Disease afflicting a large cattle population in the country. 

 

Speaking on the occasion, Member, NITI Aayog Shri Ramesh Chand expressed satisfaction that our foodgrains production growth rate is faster than the country’s population growth rate and that the momentum should accelerate. He called upon the ICAR to focus its efforts on the 12 crops witnessing declining production over the years, including Cotton that supports the Textiles Industry also, besides Soyabean, Tur & Urad pulses and Oilseeds particularly Safflower. Pointing out that the consumption of Millets per person has declined from 24% to 6% over the years, Dr. Ramesh Chand said we must ensure Millets remains the staple diet of the poor since it is rich in iron and prevents anemia. 

 

Presenting a detailed report on the achievements of ICAR during the FY 2022-23, Director General of ICAR and Secretary, DARE Dr. Himanshu Pathak said the ICAR released 323 varieties of field crops, including 266 climate resistant variants. A number of vaccines were developed by the ICAR Institutes including the H9N2 Influenza Vaccine for Chickens and vaccine for prevention of SARS-CoV2 infection in animals, he said.

 

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary (through video conference), Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Shri Abdul Sattar, Himachal Pradesh Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Shri Chander Kumar, Secretary, ICAR Shri Sanjay Garg and other members and senior officers were present. On this occasion, Union Minister Shri Tomar also released some publications. During the AGM, some members also presented their suggestions.

The US department of agriculture's animal and plant health inspection service (USDA-APHIS) approved the Gujarat agro radiation processing facility last July.

 

Farmers and exporters will now be able to increase exports to the US. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC) developed the facility at Bavla near Ahmedabad. Thus far, Gujarat's kesar and alphonso mangoes were exported through Maharashtra.

 

A senior GAIC officer said, 'USDA-APHIS approved the Bavla radiation processing facility last July. The coming mango season will be the first in which Gujarat will directly export mangoes to the US market. Currently, mangoes from Gujarat reach the US through Maharashtra, which means higher logistics costs. Our facility was ready in 2014 but the approval was delayed. We believe if the weather stays good, we will see direct exports to the US of about 400 tonnes of mangoes between mid-April and June.'

 

According to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), last year India's mango exports to the US was 813 tonnes, valued at Rs 33.68 crore.

 

Hiren Gandhi, former chairman of GCCI's food committee, said, 'The US mandates that mangoes and other food products undergo irradiation, which kills insects on the fruit. The irradiation facility will help Gujarat farmers get better prices for their kesar mangoes in the international market. The US is a big market for mangoes and quality kesar will see good demand. The Australian market will also open for direct exports from Gujarat with this facility. Irradiation also increases the shelf life of mango by at least 25 days.'

 

Ashish Guru, chairman of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) agriculture committee said, 'Gujarat is a leading mango producer, and our mangoes are of better quality than the Mexican mangoes being sold in the US. It was difficult to export mangoes directly from Gujarat but with the irradiation facility in place, Gujarat-based exporters will be able to send mangoes to the US and command premium prices because of their superior quality.'

The second edition of 'World Food India-2023’ will be organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, from 3-5 November, 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Curtain Raiser Event to WFI-2023 was held today in National Media Centre, New Delhi. During the event, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras, and Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, launched the website, publicity brochure and promotional video for WFI-2023.

 

Addressing the Curtain Raiser event, Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras emphasised that India is one of the fastest-growing economies with many investment opportunities, especially in the food processing sector. He outlined five pivotal elements of the WFI-2023 as Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focus on technology and digitisation.

 

Shri Paras said that during the three-day event, the government expects leading players in the food processing sector from across the globe to showcase their strengths.

 

Shri Paras added that industry professionals' meets, exhibitions and Food Street - a specially curated food experience arena, are also planned to explore collaborations and B2B/G contracts. He said that the event will highlight the myriad opportunities, infrastructure available, incentives, and benefits to the investors.

 

Shri Prahlad Singh Patel said that with the experience of previous edition of WFI-2017, the government is looking forward to WFI-2023 as a flagship global event. He said that India is proud of meeting the food needs of the world and the scientific parameters will help in the further growth of the food processing industry. He said that the various government initiatives including the PLI schemes in the food processing industry are enhancing the marketing and branding and the government is proud of the standardising the quality parameters.

 

Shri Patel emphasised that innovation in the food processing industry is a key differentiator globally, and will help India emerge as one of the strongest economies in the world. He added that digitalisation has enhanced the quality parameters even at self-help groups level, and thus improved the sector's competitiveness.

 

While requesting wide stakeholder participation in the event, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries Ms Anita Praveen, said that World Food India-2023, a flagship event of the Ministry, is a unique platform for global investors of food companies. She said that the Ministry aims to make India an export hub with a major contribution from food processing and allied industries. She added that the focus of the Ministry is on value addition, processing machinery, packaging technology & material etc. She said that Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’ is one of the pillars of this event and there are immense investment opportunities in post-harvest management such as primary processing and storage, preservation infrastructure, cold chain, refrigerated transport and value addition in organic and nutritious foods. She emphasised that WFI-2023 will provide an impetus for the industry's further growth and showcase India's potential in the food processing industry to the world.

 

Vice President, FICCI Shri Harsha V Agarwal, and Secretary General, FICCI, Shri Shailesh K Pathak, provided outline of the preparations made in ensuring success of the event and brief of the arrangements at the venue for facilitating exhibitions, B2B, B2G & G2G meetings and collaborations. Being organized as part of International Year of Millets 2023 activities, WFI-2023 will have Millets (Shree Anna), organic produce & indigenous processed food as some of the focus areas, and will be held through collaborations with and investments from global stakeholders. The event was attended by wide spectrum of representatives from Press & Media, various Central Ministries/Departments, State Resident Commissioners & Embassies apart from senior officers of the Ministry.

Farmers were told to take up cultivation of market driven crop varieties in order to enhance their income at a workshop on food processing and business opportunities at Thanjavur on Thursday.

 

Inaugurating the workshop jointly organised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management – Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) and Ponni Arakattalai, Thanjavur, the vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, V. Geethalakshmi exhorted the delta farmers to consider cultivation of crops addressing the issues of nutritional security.

 

Stating that the cultivation of market-driven crops of high demand would enhance the income of farmers, Dr.Geethalakshmi suggested the farmers to switch over to the cultivation of traditional paddy varieties having essential minerals and low glycaemic index.

 

Addressing the participants, APEDA chairman M. Angamuthu assured all possible support for the promotion of Thanjavur delta districts-based agro products through APEDA.

 

The General Manager, APEDA, Southern Region, Ravindra said organic certification would help tap the global market for traditional horticultural products successfully.

 

Wide-ranging opportunities for the micro food enterprises were explained in detail by the chief executive officer, PM-FME scheme of SASTRA University, Panjapakesan, according to a NIFTEM-T release.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Sunday said an initiative will be taken to start cargo flights from Maharaja Agrasen Airport here for exporting fruits and vegetables to the Arab countries.

 

Khattar was addressing a gathering during Haryana Krishi Vikas Mela at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University here.

 

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister J P Dalal and Urban Local Bodies Minister Kamal Gupta were also present.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Oilseeds & Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 8, 2023, to enhance the production of quality oilseeds in India.

 

The MoU was signed by ICRISAT’s Director General, Dr Jacqueline Hughes, and IOPEPC’s Chairman, Mr Nilesh Vira, with the aim of strengthening long-term cooperation to increase the quantum and quality of oilseeds grown in India.

 

The collaboration will focus on expanding cultivated areas, deploying scientific technologies, and collaborating at all levels, including providing farmers with better quality certified seed and strengthening the supply chain of oilseeds.

 

In addition, the partnership will promote food safety principles, recommend policies and programs to the Government of India and to support the growth of the Indian oilseed sector.

 

During the discussions, Mr Vira stressed the importance of developing climate-resilient oilseed crops, given the unpredictable weather patterns affecting India’s agriculture. He cited the challenge faced by farmers in growing aflatoxin-free groundnuts, a crop that is increasingly in demand in the export market.

 

'Farmers want oilseed crops that can withstand climate vagaries. Changing monsoon patterns are affecting oilseed crops that usually take 110-120 days to mature. Farmers do not want to grow oilseeds due to unpredictable weather and we need to find solutions,' said Mr Vira.

 

Mr Kishore Tanna, Director-Groundnut Panel Convenor, IOPEPC said that India is importing 15 million tons of edible oil and that’s because farmers do not want to grow oilseeds, especially groundnuts.

 

Mr Tanna also drew attention to the fact that groundnut exports to the European Union had dropped to around 6000-7500 tons due to stringent import rules on aflatoxin that call for levels of not more than 2 – 4 PPB for various grades of groundnut.

 

ICRISAT’s Director General, Dr Hughes, highlighted the need to eliminate intermediaries in the export value chain, thereby increasing the profits for smallholder farmers. She also emphasized ICRISAT’s commitment to finding solutions to eliminate aflatoxin in groundnuts, which has detrimental effects on all consumers.

 

'Aflatoxin elimination is a doable challenge for ICRISAT, and partnership with IOPEPC will help ICRISAT focus on key areas of intervention applicable for the peanut sector in India,' said Dr Hughes.

 

The visiting team shared several avenues to shorten the export value chain and establish direct connections between farmers and exporters. One successful example they cited was the short value chain for soybeans in Rajasthan and Gujarat, which has potential for replication in other crops. They also mentioned the growing popularity of e-markets as another potential avenue for connecting farmers and exporters.

 

The MoU signing was attended by ICRISAT staff Dr Sean Mayes, Mr Stefan De Greling, and Dr Janila Pasupuleti, and convened by ICRISAT’s Product Placement Lead Dr Ashok Kumar and Mr Ramesh P Kolath, Deputy CEO, IOPEPC.

 

IOPEPC is recognized by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, and serves as the common forum for Indian oilseeds/vegetable oils exporters, foreign buyers, the Indian Government, R&D agencies for oilseeds and vegetable oils in India, international agencies, and many other official bodies and authorities globally.

Under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Centers of Excellence (CoEs) are being established in various States through Bilateral Cooperation or Research Institutes. These CoEs serve as demonstration and training centres for latest technologies in the field of horticulture. These CoEs also serve as source of planting material for fruits and vegetable seedlings for protected cultivation and usedfor transfer of technology and knowhow in diverse areas, viz., Post-Harvest management, Irrigation and Fertigation, Plant protection, Introduction of New Varieties, Pollination etc.

 

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved 49 CoEs till now, out of which following 3 CoEs have been approved on 09-03-2023:

 

(i)   CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) by Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka at Experimental station, Hirehalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

(ii)    CoE for Mango and Vegetables under Indo-Israel Action Plan at Panikoili, Jajpur District, Odisha.

 

(iii)   CoE for Vegetables and Flowers under Indo-Israel Action Plan at Govt. Agricultural Farm, Codar, Khandepar, Ponda, South Goa, Goa.

 

CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) at Bengaluru, Karnataka: The vision of this Centre is to develop latest production technology as per the international standard & off-season production and demonstration of these technologies for high yield production. The Centre will aim to achieve self-sustenance in Kamlam fruit production, value addition and enhancing economic development of the farming community.

 

The Centre will focus to develop high performance variety with improved yield, nutrient use efficiency, nutritional quality, tolerance against biotic & abiotic stresses, Standardization of propagation techniques, distribution of quality planting material through public participatory approach, development of protocol for post-harvesting handling and storage to reduce post-harvest losses and promote export to distant markets, development of value-added products and processes for product diversification & higher revenue realization, dissemination of developed technologies to the farmers & other stakeholders through training, field visits, etc.

 

CoE for Mango and Vegetables at Jajpur, Odisha: The vision of Centre is to generate knowledge in nursery management, cultivation practices, production of high quality & large quantity of planting material of mango and vegetable crops. The Centre will also focus on demonstration of new varieties, Israeli Agro technology in irrigation, fertigation & Plant protection technologies along with precision Agriculture and post-harvest management technology. The Centre will prepare a training model based on the focused areas such as irrigation, fertigation, nursery, canopy & value chain for the benefit of farmers.

 

CoE for Vegetables and Flowers at Ponda, Goa: The Centre will focus on demonstration of Hi-tech nursery management system with advanced production technology through automated irrigation and fertigation system for production of disease-free and healthy vegetable seedlings of improved varieties of vegetables and flowers suitable for Goa. The Centre will also strengthen infrastructure for promotion of pre & post-harvest management of quality produce and develop protocols/guidelines tailored to the local conditions in the CoE & farmer’s field as well.

On the 75th anniversary of independence, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken initiative to export 75 varieties of mangoes from Bengal to foreign countries. The agency has already identified 75 varieties of delicious mangoes from Maldah and Murshidabad districts. The central government agency has started a plan to export mangoes abroad in joint venture with the state horticulture department.

 

Recently, a number of representatives of Kolkata exporters were taken to Malda under the initiative of Apeda. They also held initial stage discussions with the farmers. Mangoes to be exported include Himsagar, Gopalbhog, Laxmanbhog, Amrapali, Kohitur etc. Apeda development manager Suprabha Majhi said, mainly Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai will be sent.

 

Samant Layek, Mango Officer, Malda, said, "There is a possibility of a very good yield of mangoes in the district this year. Last year 34 species of mangoes went to different European countries. Keeping in mind the 75th Independence Day, we have taken initiative to send 75 varieties of mangoes abroad this year. The exporters have agreed to it. Discussions have also been held with Apeda.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India organized a two-day ‘Millet Fair cum Exhibition’ in Madurai, Tamil Nadu from 6-7 March, 2023. The event was organised as part of the Millet Mahotsav series, in collaboration with the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business, Government of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is known for the production of different varieties of millets including Pearl Millet (Bajra), Sorghum (Jowar), Finger Millet (Ragi), Small Millet (Foxtail Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet, Proso Millet) and Little Millet. The district of Madurai is known for the production of Pearl Millet (Bajra), Sorghum (Jowar), Finger Millet (Ragi) and Small Millet. In the year 2019-20 the district produced, 3,548 tonnes of Pearl Millet (Bajra), 22,405 tonnes of Sorghum (Jowar), 69 tonnes of Finger Millet (Ragi) and 130 tonnes of Small Millets.

 

During the event, the first Common Incubation Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme was inaugurated by Thiru. P. Moorthy, Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. T. M. Anbarasan, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of Tamil Nadu and Thiru. M. R. K. Panneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Madurai, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The Common Incubation Centre has been set up for Dhal Processing and Fruit & Vegetable Processing.

 

Aligning with the spirit of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to promote entrepreneurship development, an Agri Hackathon was organized inviting aspiring entrepreneurs to submit their ideas for innovative agricultural and food processing technologies. The initiative garnered a positive response with more than 400 applications submitted. The selected applicants went through a boot camp training, out of which, four applicants were shortlisted for a funding grant, mentorship and handholding support. The dignitaries also launched 17-millet based brands to encourage micro food processing enterprises to venture into the domain of Millet processing. Additionally, a book on Millets by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University was also launched during the event. The dignitaries later visited the stalls at the Millet-based product exhibition, which had over 150 stalls showcasing various Millet based value-added products and innovative millet-based recipes.

 

The two-day event was aimed at providing the micro food processing enterprises with a platform to interact with leading industry players through B2B and B2C interactions organized during the Buyer Seller Meet. Participants interacted with organizations to get a deeper understanding of marketing, e-commerce, quality parameters for online and offline retail, etc.  It brought all the stakeholders of the food processing sector with special focus on millets, on a common platform and encompassed a wide range of activities like exhibition and sale of various millet-based products, live kitchen showcasing 45 Millet-based dishes prepared by 19 Self Help Groups, millet recipe demonstration, cooking competition, agri-hackathon, informative sessions on millet processing, buyer seller meet, interactive sessions between industry experts and micro food processing enterprises, SHGs, FPOs engaged in food processing. Cultural programs and art forms like Puliyattam, Poikkal Kuthirai Attam, Karakattam and Kummi enriched the event and provided the participants with a glimpse of the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu. Millet Mahotsav received an overwhelming response with more than 6000 participants attending the event including micro food processing enterprises, self-help groups, farmer producer organizations, producer cooperatives, etc.

 

In addition to the Millet Mahotsav, a mega-food event World Food India 2023 is also being organized by the Ministry from 3rd to 5th Nov 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi to provide a unique platform to all stakeholders i.e. producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, academia, start-up & innovators, food retailers, etc. to interact and have a dialogue. The event is slated to be the biggest-ever congregation of dignitaries, global investors and business leaders of major global and domestic food companies which would put India firmly on the global food landscape.

 

In the wake of the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries is hosting Millet Mahotsav across 20 States and 30 Districts in the country with the aim of creating awareness about the nutritional benefits, value addition, consumption and export potential of Millets. The States hosting the events include Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.

 

Being grown in more than 130 countries, Millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. Millets are important by the virtue of their mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food & nutritional security all over the world. India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of around 41 percent in global production. Recognizing the enormous potential of Millets, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India (GoI) has prioritized Millets. Spearheaded by the Honourable Prime Minister, the Government of India’s proposal for International Year of Millets (IYoM) 2023 was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront of celebrating IYoM.

 

About the PMFME Scheme

Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) on 29th June, 2020 as a part of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' with an aim to enhance the competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment & promote the formalization of this sector.

 

The scheme provides financial, technical, and business support for the upgradation of micro food processing enterprises in the country. The scheme is implemented in close collaboration with State Nodal Agencies of respective States. All the States/UTs have appointed Nodal Agencies for the implementation of the scheme. Applications for credit-linked subsidies for individual enterprises are approved at the district level, while applications for groups are approved at the State Level/MOFPI. MIS portal for PMFME Scheme is receiving individual applications for credit linked subsidy for up-gradation of food processing units. For monitoring & approvals, Committees at the state and district level in the States/UTs have been constituted. Under the PMFME Scheme Credit Linked Subsidy @35% for the establishment or setting up of micro food processing unit with a maximum subsidy of Rs. 10 lakhs and for common infrastructure with a maximum subsidy of Rs. 3 Cr. would be provided.