New Rs 10,000 cr scheme will help position India as world food factory: Badal

Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday hailed the government's third tranche of economic package to leverage unorganised micro food processing firms, saying it would help position India as a "world food factory".

Badal, in a statement, said the new scheme for micro food processing enterprises, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore shall leverage the collective strength of farmer producers organisation (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Cooperatives and existing food processing enterprises in unorganized sector.

This will "position India as a world food factory," she said. The Minister said that micro food processing enterprises constitute almost 98 per cent of the sector and 66 per cent amongst them are based in rural areas.

"Their potential was hitherto untapped. They shall now act as the new growth engine for India's rural economy," she noted.

Badal also welcomed the extension of the existing Tomato Onion Potato (TOP) scheme to cover all fruits and vegetables for next six months.

"It shall facilitate storage and movement of perishables and result in price stabilization . A much needed support for farmers in the COVID-19 times," she added.