Stakeholders told to make PMFME scheme a success

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 9 (EMN): The commissioner and secretary of Industries and Commerce, Kekhrievor Kevichusa, has sought for concerted effort to make the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme a success and be a model for other programmes that would necessitated interaction and cooperation from various departments.

Kevichusa stated this during a consultative meeting of stakeholders with the line departments pertaining to the state level up-gradation plan (SLUP) studies under the new centrally sponsored PMFME scheme held at the directorate of Industries and Commerce in Kohima on Wednesday. He stated that the PMFME scheme is a flagship project for food processing where the department of Industries and Commerce is the state implementing nodal department.

He expressed delight to note that many departments have partnered with the department. Apart from implementation of the scheme, he added that many departments have come forward with support even for consultation.

He also informed that the department has received many applications from entrepreneurs and food producing organisations (FPO) and added that a list of selected beneficiaries would be released soon.

Meanwhile, a representative from the consulting agency M/s Transgraph Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, made a presentation on SLUP studies and highlighted the list of one district one product (ODOP). It included pickle product  for Kohima, pineapple product for Dimapur, coffee product for Mokokchung, fish product for Wokha, Naga king chilli product for Peren, kiwi product for Phek, kholar (rajma) for aspirational district Kiphire, kholar (rajma) product for Tuensang, large cardamom product for Mon, ginger product for Longleng, and soya product for Zunheboto.

The presentation was followed by discussions of the stakeholders represented by various department officials and representatives on strategies and potentials of crops and foods of various districts on how to upscale food processing.

In his welcome address, the director of Industries and Commerce, Hokishe K Assumi, called for concerted efforts of all the stakeholders and to work systematically. He also implored upon the members present to consider the programme to build a stronger relations among the departments through the convergence.