New Delhi: Aiming to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local with Global outreach’, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday announced measures to strengthen the infrastructure, logistics and storage and three governance and administrative agri-marketing reforms.

Addressing a press conference here along with Minister of State Anurag Thakur, Ms Sitharaman said a scheme will be launched to help two lakh Micro Food Enterprises for improved health and safety standards, integration with retail markets and improved incomes to be key focus areas.

Announcing the third tranche of economic stimulus, she said financing facility of Rs 1 lakh crore will be provided for funding Agriculture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate and aggregation points — Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Farmers Producer Organisations, Agriculture entrepreneurs.

Private entrepreneurs, startups who look to facilitate by procuring from farmers and seek to create value addition for the global market, but don’t have infrastructure, will benefit from this fund, she added.

Ms Sitharaman said announced Rs 10,000 crore Fund for Micro Food Enterprises (MFEs) Marketing assistance to help local products create global impact, focus on organic, nutritional and health and wellness products with a cluster-based approach.
This will benefit two lakh MFEs and focus on health and wellness products in which India has a great strength, empowering women, SCs, STs and where possible aspirational districts, she informed.

She also announced that registration of 242 shrimp hatcheries and rearing hatcheries has been extended for 3 months and operation of marine capture fisheries and aquaculture has been relaxed to cover inland fisheries.