Raghubar Das, chief minister, Jharkhand, recently laid the foundation stone for proposed integrated hi-tech plant for fruits and vegetables processing to be constructed in the Nagdi Block of Ranchi by Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt. Ltd (MDFVPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
The unveiling of the foundation stone was done in the presence of T Nanda Kumar, chairman, NDDB, and chairman, MDFVPL, in the presence of other company officials.
On completion this would be Safal’s first plant in the region with hi-tech facilities for F&V processing.
Speaking on the occasion, T Nanda Kumar, chairman, NDDB, said, “This is one of the largest interventions of Mother Dairy (Safal) in rural India. This has been done primarily to provide better technology, extension and marketing services to farmers of Jharkhand who produce very high quality fruit and vegetables, but are unable to realise adequate prices in the absence of stable demand and a reliable buyer. Mother Dairy’s entry will not only expand the market for fruit and vegetables, but also improve and stabilise prices for farmers in the region. Mother Dairy will strive to improve the economic well-being of the farmers without compromising its commercial interests.”
Blessed with abundant mineral deposits, Jharkhand agro ecology is ideal for horticulture crops. Farmers in the state are known to be using less pesticide as compared to others as the soil is young and has high capacity of fixation of humus. The state is ranked sixth nationwide in terms of tomato produce and fifth in green peas production.
Speaking on the development, S Nagarajan, MD, MDFVPL, said, “With huge production of fruits and vegetables, Jharkhand has immense potential for processing of various fruits and vegetables. Through this state-of-the-art facility, we will strive to explore better opportunities for almost 50,000 farmers and their produce. Mother Dairy as an organisation is committed to develop a strong eco-system by bringing in rural prosperity through empowering farmers and providing a direct linkage to the consumers, thus building a sustainable business environment for all.”
The IQF line will have the capacity to produce 5,000 metric tonne per year of finished product and this will mainly include peas produced in the state.
The pulp and concentrate line will have a capacity of 20,000 metric tonne per annum of finished products and this will largely include tomato processing, mango and other fruits.
The total capital outlay for this project is estimated to be Rs 75.65 crore and the government subsidy as per Jharkhand industrial policy will be applied for and approximately the assessment is about Rs 14 - 15 crore. The first phase (freezing line) is planned very aggressively and is expected to be operational by December 2016 and the pulp and concentrate processing line will be operational a year later.
Pradipta Kumar Sahoo, business head, Safal, said, “Jharkhand has varied agro-climatic zones, giving comparative advantage to the state. It is the East India hub for green peas, tomato, ginger, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, tamarind and jackfruit. Around 80% of the raw material will be procured directly from the farmers of this region. This will ensure that they get remunerative prices for their produce and also uplift the ancillary and local farm level activities here. The cultivable land resources of the state have good potential for higher production of horticulture products which will assist us enhancing consumption of produce and marketing in both domestic and international markets. Safal will also undertake agronomic intervention for the select horticulture crops like tomato, potato, ginger, jackfruit etc. to improve quality and yield as per the processing standards.”
The company currently operates one F&V processing plant at Bengaluru having a capacity of 15,000 MT - 18,000 MT. It is into the business of fruit pulp and F&V frozen products, mainly frozen peas, for more than two decades under the brand “Safal.”
