The Department of Food Processing, Government of Punjab, under the aegis of Government of India, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) organized a One-Day Awareness-cum-Training Program of the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme at Jacob Hall, College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.
The program was organized in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (PAMETI), ICAR–Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (ICAR-CIPHET), Ludhiana, and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) to create awareness about opportunities in food processing, encourage value addition to agricultural produce, and support the growth of Micro Food Processing Enterprises across Punjab.
Addressing the gathering, Sh. Ramesh Chand Thakur highlighted Government of India’s commitment to strengthening the food processing ecosystem by supporting entrepreneurs through infrastructure development, skill enhancement, technology adoption, branding, marketing support and improved access to finance under the PMFME Scheme. The speaker emphasized that value addition to agricultural produce is essential for increasing farmers’ income, reducing post-harvest losses and generating sustainable rural employment.
The technical sessions featured distinguished experts from NIFTEM, ICAR-CIPHET, Punjab Agricultural University, PAMETI and other leading institutions.
The program witnessed enthusiastic participation from aspiring entrepreneurs, existing micro food processing units, Farmer Producer Organizations(FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Cooperatives, Startups, Progressive Farmers, Students and representatives of various stakeholder organizations from across Punjab.
Participants actively interacted with the experts during the question-and-answer session and received practical guidance on project preparation, technology selection, financial assistance, market access and the process of availing benefits under the PMFME Scheme.