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Karnataka to invest Rs 500 crore for fruit processing cluster in Ramanagara
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Monday, 09 August, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
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In a major effort to maximise the six agro climatic zones of the state, Karnataka would soon set up a fruit processing cluster at Bhairapattana near Ramanagara town with Rs 500 crore investment under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Ramanagara is about 50 km southwest of Bengaluru.
This according to the former Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, “Will be a horticultural crops processing cluster, which will include a mango pulp making unit, through a PPP model at a cost of Rs 500 crore." Dr Narayan told reporters after a meeting with the state horticulture department here.
Narayan, who is also in charge of the adjacent district, which is en route Mysuru from Bengaluru, said the cluster would initially have five units to process horticulture produce like fruits and vegetables from across the state.
"Of the 40 acre of land identified for the cluster, 15 acre will be used for the units, including four acre for the mango pulp unit and 11 acre to process other fruits and vegetables for domestic and export markets," he added.
The state government has asked the Centre to grant Rs 10 crore to fund the cluster under its Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, a scheme of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, for remunerative approaches for agriculture and allied sectors rejuvenation (RKVY-Raftaar).
The cluster will facilitate farmers and growers to add value to their produce by processing fruits and vegetables round the year. Under the PPP model, prospective investors will get a 40 per cent subsidy to participate in the cluster project.
The state also has one of the most fertile lands in south India. From papaya, sapota, grapes, mango, guava, pomegranate to banana to name a few, all these fruits are grown. Further the state farmers have also experimented with litchis, strawberry and dragon fruit. Rambutan from Malaysia has also been cultivated by farmers in the Malnad region. In the coffee land of Kodagu district, farmers grow apples.
The government noted the importance of fruit processing for value addition. The state too had several units that were maximising the access to the fruits grown across districts.
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