VIJAYAWADA: Department of Food Processing is now making all-out efforts to create a robust supply chain for food processing units in AP and at the same time, formalise nearly 1.6 lakh food processing units across the State, so they too can contribute for accelerating the sector. Incubation centres and Food Testing labs are some of the measures taken to facilitate assistance to existing food product entrepreneurs and encourage them to establish new food processing units.
According to Principal Secretarty ( Agriculture, marketing & food processing) Chiranjiv Choudhary, food processing industry has gained prominence due to a consistent increase in demand for processed food items globally over the years. AP has largest number of registered food processing industries in the country and most of them are managed by women. “For providing impetus to the upgradation and formalization of these micro food processing units, we are providing financial and technical assistance to the micro food processing units, leveraging PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme,” he said.
AP Food processing society has been entrusted with the responsibility as State Nodal Agency to drive the mission. It has adopted a multi-pronged approach and is implementing the scheme as a comprehensive programme by dovetailing with other similar schemes of both state and centre like YSR Cheyutha, PMEGP, MUDRA, Agri Infra Fund, MIDH, SFURTI etc.
First Stage of Programme implementation is supporting Rural and Urban SHG women involved in food processing for improving the production standards with initial Seed Capital of Rs 40,000 per member. Till date from Feb 2021, about 10,708 SHG women are provided Seed Capital to the tune of Rs 40.50 crore.
Choudhary said that efforts are being made by the government to motivate Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs) and PACS to take up value addition of Agri and Horti commodities by establishing processing facilities. About 110 FPOs has expressed their willingness to join the movement. Out of these, 20 FPOs are taken up by GoAP for further facilitation as first phase. These FPOs are provided technical consultancy assistance, DPR preparation, loan facilitation and hand holding for the operationalization of the unit post-grounding. Besides, about 32 traditional food clusters have been identified and initial potential assessment has been completed for eight clusters.
To provide thrust among food processing enthusiasts, Common Incubation Centers (CIC) are also being established. Two common incubation centers, one at IIT, Tirupati and other at RARS Anakapalli are in the process of establishment. Three incubation centers will be at CFST Pulivendula, SVMVV Tirupati and KVK, LAM Guntur, which are in the pipeline. It is planned to have at least one CIC per district.