Kerala has been recognised for its solid support to entrepreneurs in the food sector. The state provided everything from financial help and skill training to marketing support, earning it this top honour.
Delhi:Kerala has bagged the national award for being the best state in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. The award comes from the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Minhaj Alam IAS, Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, and Sooraj S., CEO of the Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion, accepted the award from Union Minister Chirag Paswan. The ceremony took place at the PMFME Summit held at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi.
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The state got this recognition for its all-round support to entrepreneurs in the food industry, which included financial aid, skill development, and help with marketing. The state's Industries Department managed to provide loans to 10,175 entrepreneurs, crossing the central government's target of 10,000. On top of that, a grant-in-aid subsidy of ₹195.04 crore has been approved for 7,529 beneficiaries.
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As part of the scheme, seed capital was also given out through Kudumbashree. The State Rural Livelihood Mission distributed ₹19.60 crore to 6,297 members, while the Urban Livelihood Mission gave ₹3.90 crore to 1,060 members. The scheme also saw the successful launch of a Common Incubation Centre at the Agri Business Incubator in Thrissur's Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani. Built at a cost of ₹2.75 crore, this centre helps with processing rice, fruits, vegetables, and spices.
