Food Processing Industry Urged to Maximize Capacity Utilization

12-Dec-2025 06:03 PM

Mumbai. The Central Government has urged the agricultural ancillary industries to maximize the use of all available incentives to strengthen the food processing supply chain, ensuring the maximum utilization of the industry's total production capacity and ensuring continued growth and expansion. The Union Food Processing Industries Secretary stated that the yield and production of agricultural products are increasing, domestic demand and consumption are growing, and there are signs of improvement in the export performance of processed food products. In view of this, the domestic industry should pay special attention to increasing processing capacity, value addition, and food security, otherwise farmers will be deprived of the profits and prosperity they deserve. Furthermore, consumers will face difficulties in making informed choices, assessing quality, and obtaining products at reasonable prices.The Central Government is highlighting some promising schemes for this sector, including the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme. Under these flagship schemes, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries provides extensive support and incentives to entrepreneurs. These include capital subsidies for micro and small enterprises, 35 to 50 percent financial assistance for setting up cold storage facilities, and incentives for setting up processing units, testing laboratories, and incubation centers in agricultural clusters. Speaking at the Annapurna Inter Food Exhibition 2025 organized by FICCI in Mumbai, the Secretary told entrepreneurs that these schemes provide special incentives and also provide seed funding to self-help groups, especially women-led groups, which helps them initiate food processing operations.