Anantapur: Entrepreneurs told to set up food processing units
Joint Collector Nishanth addressing a meeting of food processing industry stakeholders in Anantapur on Tuesday. MP Talari Rangaiah and others are seen.
Anantapur: Member of Parliament Talari Rangaiah has called for setting up of food processing units based on groundnut, tomato and sweet oranges plantations in the district.
He said the future belongs to the food processing industry. Even water has become a commercial commodity referring to the bottled water big business industry. He said that the State and Central governments have formulated schemes to give a fillip to the food processing industry.
Speaking at a meeting of the food processing industry stakeholders organised by the district administration here on Tuesday, MP Rangaiah said that the government is ready to extend technical assistance to anyone willing to set up food processing units in the district.
Joint Collector Nishanth asked officials to prepare detailed project reports on the possibility for setting up processing units based on locally available fruit products. He asked scientists to do research taking into consideration all the factors that help boost exports from the district. Stakeholders should keep in mind the consumer requirements, he said.
Any business venture would fail if consumers' interests are not taken care of. He said that the district administration learnt many new things even during the process of organising Kisan Rail. Marketing of products and transportation should be taken into consideration while preparing detailed project reports.
Raptadu MLA Topudurthi Prakash speaking on the processing units felt that the units should be set up keeping in view the tomato exports to Asian countries and the preservation techniques that should be adopted while exporting tomatoes that far.
Speakers dwelt on the variety of products that can be produced at the processing units including tomato paste, tomato powder and tomato sauce etc. Besides, groundnut crop and sweet oranges processing had been discussed.
Horticulture DD Padmalatha, scientist Dr Chauhan, DIC general manager Sudarshan Babu and horticulture scientists also participated.