New Delhi: The Central Government’s initiative to promote millet-based products has significantly increased local agricultural production and procurement, benefiting farmers, according to Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, in a statement to the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Initially, 30 participants were enrolled in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Millet-Based Products, but after one dropped out, there are now 29 beneficiaries. The scheme mandates that only domestically sourced agricultural products (excluding additives, flavors, and oils) be used in the creation of millet-based items.
To improve the implementation of the PLI Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP), the government has introduced various measures, including a user-friendly online portal and dedicated groups for quick issue resolution. The minister noted that clarifications on the scheme’s guidelines have been regularly provided to ensure better understanding among participants.
Additionally, the government has established regular monitoring and evaluation processes, along with technical support from dedicated teams to ensure smooth execution of the scheme. Weekly meetings with applicants are also held to maintain effective communication and track progress.
Launched for the period from FY 2022-2023 to FY 2026-2027, the PLI Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) has an allocation of Rs 800 crore aimed at promoting millet usage in food products and encouraging value addition. The scheme removes the threshold investment requirement, making it more accessible to applicants. To be eligible for incentives, companies must achieve at least a 10 percent year-on-year sales growth compared to the base year. The scheme incentivizes sales of branded Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook products that contain more than 15 percent millet by weight or volume.
The scheme will run for five years, with claims for the first performance year (FY 2022-2023) needing to be filed in FY 2023-2024. So far, 19 applicants have submitted incentive claims, and Rs 3.917 crore has been disbursed to eligible participants.