11 food processing units costing Rs 1719 cr launched in AP

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S  Jagan Mohan Reddy has officially launched 11 food processing units, which were established with a budget of Rs 1,719 crore. The inauguration ceremony was held virtually, with six units being inaugurated and the foundation stones being laid for five additional units from the camp office.

These units have a combined production capacity of 3.14 lakh tonne of food items annually, around 40,307 farmers would benefit from these initiatives.

The Chief Minister announced the launch of four primary vegetable and fruit processing centres in the Annamayya and Chittoor districts, a millet processing unit at L Kota in the Vizianagaram district and an onion and tomato dehydration cluster at Thadakanepalle in the Kurnool district.

The ceremony also marked the foundation stone laying for three primary tomato processing centres in Satya Sai and Anantapur districts. Additionally, a groundnut processing unit was initiated at Dharmavaram in the Satya Sai district and a Mondelez India foods unit in Sri City, Chittoor district.

Reddy has emphasised Andhra Pradesh’s remarkable commitment to farmers, disclosing that the state has allocated an impressive 8,000 crore for intervening and ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) during price drops. The state stands alone in providing MSP even for millets, intricately connecting them with the Public Distribution System (PDS) through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs). Reddy also highlighted the state’s proactive approach, extending MSP coverage to crops not encompassed by the Central government.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister unveiled plans for significant agricultural advancements, including an expansive 55,620mt-capacity groundnut processing unit in Dharmavaram, set to benefit 15,000 groundnut farmers. He also revealed upcoming projects such as four vegetable and fruit processing centres in Annamayya and Chittoor districts, catering to 2,414 farmers, along with proposed tomato processing units in Satya Sai and Anantapur districts, aimed at supporting 3,588 farmers. Additionally, he noted the emergence of 32 primary and 13 secondary processing units for millets, with a notable 7,200mt-capacity secondary millet processing unit in Vizianagaram district, aimed at aiding millet farmers.

This article has been republished from FNB news