Shimla.
Industry Minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan said here today that Himachal Pradesh has been awarded the Best State Award-2024 for innovative initiatives and remarkable work in the food processing sector. This award was given by Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari at the ‘Agriculture Leadership Conclave’ organized by ‘Agriculture Today Group’. Resident Commissioner Meera Mohanty received this award on behalf of Himachal Pradesh.
The Industries Minister said that successful implementation of various programmes and policies in the food processing sector has brought positive changes in the lives of lakhs of farmers and villagers of the state and has strengthened their economy.
He said the State has strengthened its food processing infrastructure, which includes 23 designated food parks, one dedicated mega food park, 2 agro processing clusters in District Kangra and Solan, 18 cold chain projects including food processing units under State Food Processing Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.
Last year too, the state was awarded as the best performing state under the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme in the World Food India programme organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.
Under this scheme, credit linked subsidy of Rs 30 crore has been sanctioned and disbursed to 1320 individual micro food processing enterprises and Rs 50.31 crore has been disbursed to 13427 self help group members. 3 incubation centres are being set up in the state to promote micro food processing enterprises. The Industries Minister said that food processing is a key sector for the State as it is very important from the value addition point of view and provides strength to the rural economy.
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