PMKSY churns jobs 83% over target

New Delhi Various component schemes of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) created about 9.69 lakh direct and indirect jobs. This was almost 83 per cent more than the target of 530,500, official sources told Bizz Buzz.

The central government approved the PMKSY, a central-sector scheme for agro-marine processing and development of agro-processing clusters, in 2016. The four-year scheme had an allocation of Rs6,000 crore. It was implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

The PMKSY was expected to leverage investment of Rs31,400 crore for handling of 334 lakh MT agro-produce valued at Rs104,125 crore, benefiting 20 lakh farmers, and generating 530,500 direct and indirect jobs by the year 2019-20.

The PMKSY was a comprehensive package aimed at creating modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from the farm gate to the retail outlet. The objectives were to boost the growth of the food processing sector in the country, provide better returns to farmers, create huge employment opportunities especially in the rural areas, reduce the wastage of agricultural produce, increase the processing level, and enhance the export of processed foods.

The programme comprised a variety of schemes, including the setting up of mega food parks, integrated cold chain, and value addition infrastructure. Its focus areas included the creation and expansion of food processing and preservation capacities, infrastructure for agro-processing clusters, backward and forward linkages, food safety and quality assurance infrastructure, and human resources and institutions.

It may be mentioned here that while the PMKSY began as a four-year programme, its schemes are demand-driven. This means that expressions of interest (EoIs) are issued from time to time under its schemes for inviting proposals from prospective entrepreneurs and investors from all over the country. State government organizations, public-sector undertakings, joint ventures, NGOs, cooperatives, self-help groups, farmer producer organizations, private companies, partnership firms, etc., are eligible for submitting their proposals.