A total of 32 projects have been sanctioned under 'unit' scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) in meetings of Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) presided over by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
The projects spread across almost 17 states would leverage an investment of Rs 406 crore, an official release said.
It said the projects envisage the creation of direct and indirect employment for about 15,000 persons and focus will be employment opportunities in rural areas.
The release said that the introduction of modern processing techniques for food results in improved shelf-life of the agricultural produce and ensures steady revenue to farmers.
It said the food sector has emerged as a high-growth and high-profit sector due to its immense potential for value addition.
The PMKSY has seven component schemes -- mega food parks, integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure, creation of backward and forward linkages, creation/expansion of food processing and preservation capacities, infrastructure for agro-processing clusters, food safety, and quality assurance infrastructure and human resources and institutions.