A day-long seminar on the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme was held on February 21 at Auditorium Hall, Kargil.

The seminar was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) and Dalit Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DICCI).

Acting CEC, LAHDC, Kargil Mubarak Shah Naqvi thanked the Industries and Commerce Department, Ladakh for organising the seminar on PMFME scheme. He said the seminar will help upcoming SHG, individual entrepreneurs to understand the benefits of the scheme.

He said that the seminar will help to clear confusion, doubts, and challenges faced by the beneficiaries and requested them to take maximum benefit of the program.

Mubarak Shah Naqvi stressed educating youth to come forward and take part in entrepreneurship adding that it is mending new ways of employment generation in today’s world.

EC Zanskar Affairs, Er. Punchok Tashi expressed satisfaction over the huge participation of women in the seminar and said that women will shine in entrepreneurship in the coming future.

EC Social Welfare, Aga Syed Mehdi Fazily also stressed to include of modern techniques in farming to make agriculture more profitable and sustainable in the district.

DC, Kargil, Santosh Sukhadeve said in today’s world being dependent on government jobs wouldn’t solve unemployment in the country adding that entrepreneurship is growing in India. He said youth should look forward to alternate ways of employment generation.

Reiterating the Prime Minister’s Vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan or Self-reliant India campaign, DC Santosh said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbones of India’s growth and such schemes are being framed to strengthen the people working in the informal sector.

He said District Administration is committed to providing help to small entrepreneurs to be self-reliant adding that Kargil has a huge potential in producing local products like apricots, apples, sea buckthorn, and in dairy farms.

Mansi Roy, State Coordinator of Ladakh PMFME gave detailed information outlining the components and objectives of the scheme. She said the scheme is aimed to encourage progressive farmers/SHGs and entrepreneurs to engage in the food processing sector and maximize the potential of food processing and agricultural activities.

She informed that the scheme provides support to both new and existing food processing units with credit linked grant of 35 percent with a maximum ceiling of ₹10 Lakh and aims to support individual enterprises, FPOs, SHGs, and Producer Cooperatives by providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing units and also providing help in setting up new units for interested applicants.

Mansi also informed the gathering about providing support to FPOs, SHGs, and Cooperatives for setting up a common infrastructure.

The applicant organization will be provided a 35 percent subsidy with a maximum ceiling of ₹3 crore. She spoke about the Seed Capital Component of ₹40,000 that will be provided to each SHG member for working capital and the purchase of small equipment/tools needed in the food processing sector.