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Centre on Friday told Rajya Sabha that over 29 lakh farmers have benefitted from the Pradhan Mantra Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) since the inception of its respective component schemes.
Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Prahlad Singh Patel informed in a reply to Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vikas Mahatme question regarding the number of farmers, directly and indirectly, benefitted from the PMKSY umbrella. In a written reply to another query about the number of food parks, cold chain infrastructure and the clusters created under the schemes being implemented under the PMKSY umbrella, the Minister informed that presently, there are as many as 20 completed/operational Mega Food Parks across India, while 41 have been sanctioned. 258 Integrated Cold Chains have been completed/operational in the country, and 349 have been sanctioned. While, as for the Agro Processing clusters, there are 12 completed/operational units and 68 more have been sanctioned. Patel said that the Food Processing Industries Ministry has conducted an evaluation study for relevant component schemes of PMKSY. "These studies have concluded that the component schemes have largely achieved their objectives with substantial benefit to the farmers," Patel said. Patel further said the evaluation study of integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure scheme under PMKSY, conducted by NABARD Consultancy Limited in the year 2020 has estimated that captive projects under the scheme have resulted in an increase in farm-gate prices by 12.38 per cent and each project is estimated to benefit on average more than 9,500 farmers. PMKSY was approved by the cabinet in May 2017 for the period of 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle. It is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes like Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure and also new schemes like Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, Creation or Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities. The objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-Waste. PMKSY is expected to attract investment of Rs 11.095 crore, which can benefit 28,49,945 farmers and generate 5,44,432 direct and indirect employment in the country by the financial year 2025-2026. (ANI)
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