For promotion and development of food processing sector in the country, the Ministry is implementing a Central Sector Scheme for Infrastructure Development for Food Processing having components of Mega Food Parks and Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided in the form of grant-in-aid to eligible entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs, @ 50% in general areas and @ 75% in North-Eastern Region and difficult areas, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50.00 crore for establishment of Mega Food Park and Rs.10.00 crore for establishment of Cold Chain Infrastructure.

As per the latest Census (Fourth Census), conducted (with base reference year 2006-07), wherein the data was collected till 2009 and results published in 2011-12, as well as data extracted from Economic Census 2005 conducted by Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, for activities excluded from Fourth Census, namely wholesale/retail trade, legal, educational & social services, hotel & restaurants, transports and storage & warehousing (except cold storage); the small & micro food processing units which are being managed by woman in rural areas of the country are as under:

Further, as per latest Annual Survey of Industries: 2012-13, the total number of units in the registered food processing sector in the country was 37,175. As such, share of small & micro food processing units which are being managed by women in rural areas of the country in the registered sector is more than 30% in comparison to overall registered food processing units in the country.

In order to promote food processing units in the country, Ministry of Food Processing Industries was implementing a Scheme for Technology Upgradation / Establishment / Modernization of Food Processing Industries under the National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) through State / UT governments. However, the NMFP has been delinked from Central Government Support w.e.f. 1.4.2015. Hence, there is no budgetary allocation in the Ministry for the NMFP, except for Union Territories (UTs). Allocation to UTs during 2015-16 is as under:-    

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niramjan Jyoti in a written reply in Lok Sabha