Tomato unit in Kurnool district to commence operations soon
- The unit at Kothirala village will start operations in three to four months
- It will process one tonne of tomatoes per hour into ketchup, paste, and pickles, and will also process mangoes and guavas off-season
Guntur: An integrated tomato processing unit is under construction in Doodedkonda village, Kothirala gram panchayat of Kurnool district with production expected to commence in three to four months.
Civil works for the unit, the first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh, have been completed. Designed to add value for tomato farmers, the unit will process one ton per hour, producing tomato ketchup, paste, and pickles, and will also process mangoes and guavas during the off-season for tomatoes.
Similar units already operate in Tirupati and Vizag. The initiative addresses challenges faced by farmers, who often sell tomatoes at low prices or discard them due to weak demand. The state’s food processing industries and commerce department is promoting such units, with investments totalling Rs 2,937.2 crore to bolster food processing in Andhra Pradesh.
In East Godavari district, M/s 3F Oil Palm Private Ltd is establishing a Rs 224 crore facility, with civil works completed and machinery trials underway.
In Chittoor district, ABIS Proteins Pvt Ltd is setting up a Rs 350 crore chicken processing unit, with land allotted and civil works in progress. These two projects are expected to create 1,540 jobs.
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd will invest Rs 1,622 crore to produce carbonated soft drinks, juices, and packaged drinking water, with land allotted and approvals pending. Sneha Farms Pvt Ltd. is developing a Rs 459 crore unit in Ponguru, Nellore district, to produce poultry feed and environmentally controlled broilers.
Together, these units represent a Rs 2,081 crore investment and will generate 36,000 jobs. Additionally, M/s Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company Ltd. will invest Rs 282.2 crore in an integrated dairy and cattle feed plant in Chittoor district, creating 400 direct jobs.
Land allotment for this project is in progress. According to Chiranjeevi Choudhary, secretary of food processing Industries and commerce, these initiatives reflect the state government’s commitment to fostering agro-based industries and generating employment opportunities.
