West Godavari: Flush with agro, aqua units

Eluru: WITH its fertile lands, prosperity fuelled by agriculture, West Godavari is considered one of the prosperous districts in Andhra Pradesh with no dearth of entrepreneurship to make it one of the leading hubs for food processing industries and aquaculture.

The district is situated on the west banks of River Godavari. It is well known as the rice granary of Andhra Pradesh. The total area of the district is 7742 Sq. Km. The gross cropped area is 72,4584 hectares.

It has a population of 39.37 lakh as per 2011 census. Kolleru lake, the biggest fresh water lake in India, is situated in the southwestern part of the district. The drainage is mainly dendritic in the northern part. Drainage density is more in the northern part. The delta area is served by the Godavari canal system and hundreds of drains. The gross district domestic product (GDDP) is $7.5 billion with agriculture contribution estimated at $3 billion, according to the Economic Development Board of Andhra Pradesh.

West Godavari has varied industries set up with massive investment providing employment to many and contributing to GDP. As the multi-purpose Polavaram project is under construction, the district prospects for investment opportunities in agro-based and food processing, including poultry and aquaculture units, are further brightened.

The district with its vast delta area and enterprising individuals is home to sugar mills, sanitary ware, food processing, bottling, aqua and poultry feed units. The Sarvaraya Group and Jeypore Sugar factory are well-known names. The district over the years has emerged as a leading centre for Vannamei (white-leg shrimp) farming due to its culinary value and demand in overseas markets for low price.

The Sarvaraya Group's Andhra Sugars hit the headlines when it made solid, liquid and cryogenic fuel for ISRO's GSLV with technical guidance from the nation's premier space agency way back in 2012.

In four years from 2014-15, 14 large and mega projects with an investment of `849.28 crore have gone into production providing employment to 2545. During the same period, 2090 MSME units registered with an investment of `1,929.87 crore employing 25,165.

The Industries Department has identified several potential activities including paper board making, straw board making, milk chilling, processing, ice cream making, ready-to-eat foods, fish oil, automobile components and sanitary ware.

The district under food-based industries segment at present has edible oils, sugar, coffee powder, aqua processing units, ready-to-eat items like potato chips, bakery products, papads and chilly powders; It also has several cashew processing units and plastic, construction, packing based enterprises.

The District Industries Centre has identified certain major thrust areas, which include food and agro-based, mineral, textile sectors. The total area under horticulture crops in the district is 1.204 lakh hectares. The district is one of the major producers of mango and oil palm. The major horticulture crops are mango, lime, banana, oil palm, coconut, cashew, cocoa, vegetables, spices and flowers.

There is scope for cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants. The major crops grown are paddy, sugar cane, maize, tobacco, red gram, green gram, black gram, groundnut, sun flower and pulses. There is also good potential for investment in palm oil processing, rice bran oil processing, cashew processing, cocoa, lime processing, fruits and vegetable processing units.