PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 26 -- Sangam city has bagged the top spot in the state with the maximum number of beneficiaries of government financial aid in the Food Processing sector. According to official data, as of August 7, Prayagraj witnessed a maximum of 798 entrepreneurs in the state, the maximum in any district, who began their own food processing units through financial help available under the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME Scheme), launched by the Central Government in June 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. According to official records, the top 10 districts in the state with the most number of entrepreneurs established under the scheme in 2025-26 include Prayagraj (798), Sultanpur (688), Fatehpur (582), Kanpur Nagar (567), Siddharth Nagar (519 ), Amethi (502), Rae Bareli (482), Mirzapur (480), Ambedkar Nagar (476 ) and Varanasi (472). Lucknow stood at 41st spot in UP with 219 entrepreneurs who set up manufacturing units under the scheme. According to the district horticulture officer (DHO), Prayagraj, Saurabh Srivastava, Prayagraj had left all other districts of UP behind in turning small-time retailers into entrepreneurs under the PMFME scheme. Many have benefited from the scheme, which provides support to micro-enterprises in the food processing sector through credit-linked capital subsidy of 35%, with a maximum limit of Rs 10 lakh per unit for individual enterprises, over the past five years in the district. For example one of the beneficiaries Hariram Purwar, a resident of Kareli locality of the city, after taking initial financial support under the scheme set up a manufacturing unit of 'Subzi Masala' (vegetable spices). Presently, he is supplying the product to not only different parts of Uttar Pradesh but in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh too. Similarly, Munnu Lal Patel, a guava farmer by profession, set up a flour mill in Bamrauli area of the city under the scheme. Today, he is supplying the product in UP as-well-as in MP also. Prayagraj DHO said that people pursuing different fields like employment in the private sector, farmers, etc have established themselves in the food processing sector through this scheme. Currently, most projects launched under the scheme pertain to manufacture of spices, sauce, flour, bakery products besides milk and associated products....