Maharashtra Wins National PMFME Award as Food Processing Projects Cross 31,000

State Recognized for Strong Performance in Food Processing and Rural Entrepreneurship

Maharashtra has received national recognition for its strong performance under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane accepted the award on behalf of the state from Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The award recognizes the combined efforts of farmers, women, youth, self-help groups, farmer producer organizations, micro-entrepreneurs and officials who have helped expand food processing opportunities across Maharashtra.

Agriculture Department Director Vinaykumar Awate and PMFME State Lead Manager Amol Chidrawar were also present at the award ceremony.

Maharashtra Approves Nearly 32,000 Food Processing Projects

Maharashtra has approved 31,956 food processing projects under the PMFME scheme. Women entrepreneurs and beneficiaries account for 17,941 projects, or 56 percent of the total.

The state has also approved 522 group projects and 75 common infrastructure projects, supporting small businesses and local food processing activities.

The approved individual projects have a combined value of around Rs 2,893 crore, while group projects are worth approximately Rs 36 crore. Common infrastructure projects account for another Rs 216 crore.

Subsidies have already been released for 25,007 individual projects, 388 group projects and 25 common infrastructure projects, giving entrepreneurs financial support to establish or expand their businesses.

PMFME Scheme Boosts Food Processing and Employment

The PMFME program has helped entrepreneurs move beyond the traditional sale of agricultural produce by encouraging processing, packaging, branding, value addition and stronger market connections.

The approved projects are expected to create nearly 2.64 lakh direct employment opportunities and around 7.92 lakh man-days of indirect employment.

The projects are also expected to add food processing capacity of approximately 17.79 lakh metric tonnes.

Overall, the approved projects have a total estimated cost of around Rs 3,155 crore, with Rs 715 crore in subsidies sanctioned under the PMFME scheme.

More Than 47,000 Beneficiaries Complete Training

Maharashtra has also performed strongly in beneficiary training under the scheme. A total of 47,544 beneficiaries have completed training, helping entrepreneurs improve their knowledge of food processing, business management and related activities.

The seed capital component has provided Rs 221.77 crore in financial assistance to 61,323 self-help group members.

The support has helped small entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses while creating new opportunities to process and market locally produced agricultural commodities.

Seven Maharashtra Districts Among India's Top Performers

Maharashtra's performance has also been reflected at the district level. Seven districts from the state were among the 10 best-performing districts in the country under the PMFME scheme.

Bharane said the achievement shows the importance of coordination between the central and state governments and the contribution of district administrations, banks, field officials and other stakeholders.

He said the PMFME scheme is creating new opportunities for farmers, women, young people and entrepreneurs while helping strengthen the rural economy.

The state government, he added, will continue supporting food processing and value addition to make Maharashtra's economy more dynamic and resilient.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar Receive Awards

Two Maharashtra districts also received special recognition for their work under the PMFME scheme.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar were honored for their performance, with District Superintendents of Agriculture Deepak Gawali and Sudhakar Borale receiving the respective awards.

District resource persons from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar were also recognized with first and second prizes for their performance.

Maharashtra Livelihood Missions Also Receive National Recognition

Maharashtra received additional national recognition for the implementation of its rural and urban livelihood missions.

The Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) and State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM) received awards in the large-state category for their work.

The recognition highlights the role of government officials, employees, banks, district administrations, district resource persons and field-level workers in implementing programs designed to improve livelihoods and expand economic opportunities.

PMFME Recognition Highlights Maharashtra's Food Processing Growth

The national award places Maharashtra among the leading states in implementing the PMFME scheme. With nearly 32,000 approved projects, strong participation from women and thousands of trained beneficiaries, the program is helping build a broader food processing ecosystem across the state.

The combination of financial assistance, training, infrastructure support and market opportunities is giving micro-entrepreneurs greater scope to turn agricultural produce into higher-value products.

Maharashtra's latest recognition also highlights the growing role of food processing in supporting rural businesses, creating employment and strengthening value addition across the state's agricultural economy.