DRDO to set up 3 food processing units

Anantapur: Three food processing units are being set up in the district with the help of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) soon. The centres include tomato incubation centre which will produce tomato ketchup, powder, sauce and other biproducts.

Squash and juice will be produced with sweet lemons and salted roasted peanuts and peanut butter with groundnuts which are in huge demand in Western countries.

The state government of late has also decided to promote food processing units in a big way as the district had emerged as a horticulture hub with potential for setting up pomegranate, sweet lime and bananas etc. Groundnut is another agriculture product which requires processing centres.

To handle the fluctuation of prices, efforts are being made with the help of DRDO Food Research Laboratories for setting up food processing units to ensure value addition to the produce.

MP Rangaiah held discussions with the DRDO chairman in this regard, which resulted in the visit of DRDO scientists to the district. These processing units will take a concrete shape and will become a reality soon.