KOCHI: Surpassing the Union government’s target to establish 2,500 food processing units, the state has successfully launched 2,548 new food processing enterprises in the financial year 2023-2024. With this, Kerala has secured the third position in the ranking of micro-food processing units in the country. The first and second positions were secured by Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) is a scheme launched by the Centre in 2020 to formalise the sector and promote food processing enterprises in the country. “The PMFME scheme has been operational for the past few years, and our state is also participating in it.
This year, we were able to achieve 102%of the target set by the Centre. We have seen an increase in the number of food processing enterprises established in the state in the past few years. Also, around one-third of the micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs) launched under the Year of Enterprises project of the state government in the last two years are in the food processing sector,” said Suman Billa, principal secretary, department of industries, Kerala.
“The fact that 2,548 industrial units have been started in Kerala under the PMFME scheme within one year in the food processing sector, surpassing the target given by the Centre, is an example of how the industrial sector is growing in our state,” noted Industries Minister P Rajeeve on Facebook.