Vijayawada: Mega Food Park to become operational by April

Vijayawada: The Mega Food Park at Mallavalli village in Krishna district would be made available to farmers soon as per the action plan prepared by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

APIIC Chairman Mettu Govinda Reddy on Wednesday said that a huge core processing centre, set up at the mega food park in 7.48 acres at a cost of Rs 86 crore, would become operational soon to enable farmers to bring raw material and prepare required pulp, juice, powder and other food material ready for marketing.

The ultra modern Mega Food Park was set up in 57.95 acres at a cost of Rs 112.94 crore at Mallavalli village near Vijayawada. The working of the core processing centre was tested successfully and the centre likely would be thrown open for farmers in April.

In addition, another State Food Park was set up in the adjacent 42.55 acres, where several units would be established to make use of the facilities at the core processing centre. It has been estimated that the two parks would attract investments up to Rs 260 crore and provide employment to at least 6,000 people.

APIIC Managing Director Javvadi Subrahmanyam said that a massive road show would be organised soon to inform people in general and farmers in particular about the salient features of the core processing centre at the mega food park. The farmers could bring raw material and process them in whatever way they want, he said.

Fruits like mango, tomato, papaya, guava, banana and grains and cereals could be brought to the core processing centre to process and pack making them ready for marketing, the MD said. Some people had already expressed willingness to set up units in the park and discussions are going on with some others, he said. The map for the road show would be readied after taking permission from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Referring to the facilities available at the core processing centre, Executive Director Sudarshan Babu said that the Centre has eight chambers each with a capacity to ripen 120 tonnes of fruits like mango, banana and tomato and concentration line to prepare pulp up to 6 to 10 tonnes per hour, cold storage with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes to store fruits and vegetables, and godown facilities with a capacity of 4,000 tonnes to store rice and jowar.

There is an aseptic pulp line, which could process per hour six tonnes of tomato, ten tonnes of mango, five tonnes of papaya, six tonnes of guava, or four tonnes of banana either to prepare pulp or juice. The Executive Director said that there is an automatic filling and packing line with a capacity of 7,500 packets per hour to bring out 200 ml tetrapacks with straw.

In addition, there are packing units to bring out powder in 200 grams to two kg packs of spices, rice and cereals with a capacity of packing 50 to 70 small packs and 25 to 30 big packs. There is an analytical lab to test the quality of food material on the premises of the food park.

The core processing centre would also contain various facilities like huge office premises, security and electrical panel room, utility RCC structure, cooling tower, compressor and others.