Srinagar, Jul 23 (KNO): The Union Government on Thursday informed Parliament that loans have been sanctioned for 104 micro food processing enterprises in the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, including 31 seabuckthorn processing units and 44 apricot processing units as of June 2026.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for MSME Shobha Karandlaje, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said Seabuckthorn has been identified as the One District One Product (ODOP) for Kargil, while Apricot is the ODOP for Leh under the PMFME Scheme. The scheme supports establishment and upgradation of micro food processing enterprises engaged in value addition, including juices, nutraceuticals and other processed products.
The minister said the PMFME scheme provides a 35 per cent credit-linked grant of up to Rs 10 lakh for setting up or upgrading micro food processing units. Besides, 16 agro-based food processing enterprises related to seabuckthorn and apricot have also been assisted in Ladakh under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
The government further informed the House that two incubation centre proposals have been approved under the PMFME Scheme—a Seabuckthorn Processing Centre at Leh and an Apricot Processing Centre at Kargil. The centres will provide processing infrastructure, technical support, quality testing, storage, packaging and entrepreneurship training to micro entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations.
The Centre said it is also promoting exports of Ladakh's seabuckthorn and apricot-based products through branding, marketing support, participation in buyer-seller meets, trade fairs and exhibitions to enhance their domestic and international market potential—(KNO)