Key Highlights
- Union Cabinet lifts PMKSY budget to ₹6,520 crore, adding ₹1,920 crore for new projects.
- Government to build 50 multi‑product irradiation units and 100 NABL‑accredited testing labs.
- Expanded outlay aims to cut post‑harvest losses, lift food safety standards, and boost exports.
Detailed Insights
PMKSY, launched in 2017, had an original allocation of ₹4,600 crore until 2025‑26. The recent decision injects an extra ₹1,920 crore, enabling a suite of new initiatives announced in the 2024‑25 financial plan.
Key focus areas include:
- Multi‑Product Food Irradiation Units: ₹1,000 crore to set up 50 units under ICCVAI, adding 20‑30 lakh tonnes of preservation capacity yearly.
- Food Testing Laboratories: ₹1,000 crore earmarked for 100 NABL‑accredited labs via FSQAI, accelerating sample analysis and export approvals.
- Additional Projects: Remaining ₹920 crore directed to other PMKSY schemes for the 15th Finance Commission Cycle.
Projected economic gains include a potential doubling of processed food exports, now at USD 11 billion, with the processed segment rising from 14% to 24% of total agricultural exports.
Key Concepts
- PMKSY: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana, a government program targeting expansion of Indian food processing capacity.
- Food Irradiation: Use of ionising radiation to eliminate microbes, delay ripening, and extend shelf life, reducing post‑harvest wastage.
- NABL‑accredited Laboratory: A facility certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, ensuring compliance with international standards.
- ICCVAI: Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, a PMKSY scheme facilitating cold storage, processing, and distribution.
- FSQAI: Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, a scheme preparing labs and quality systems for domestic and export markets.