DFRL to establish food processing unit in Anantapur

ANANTAPUR: The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), a wing of the central Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), would assist in the establishment of food processing units in Anantapur district by using excess crop yields during peak season.

The products will help farmers reduce losses and unemployed youths can be a part of these units without investing funds for infrastructures.

After successful results from experiments done in January last by DFRL scientists, using agro-produces of Anantapur district at the Mysore research centre, the organisation announced it would provide necessary technology including machinery for the food processing units.

A team of DFRL scientists – Dr DP Chauhan, Dr Anand and Dr Rudre Gowd -- from Mysore research station visited the district on Monday. The team held a review meeting with joint collector Gangadhar Gowd, Anantapur MP T Rangaiah and district officials over possibilities of starting food processing units.

Scientist DP Chauhan said the institute had conducted experiments with locally produced agro-products like groundnut, tomato and sweet orange in January and this yielded good results.

“The tomato and sweet orange have citric acid characteristics, but the juices or pulps degrade due to the oxidation process if exposed to an open climate. As part of the process, the sealed sachets of chutney, juice and other products wouldn’t have the impact of oxidation,” the scientist said and added the products can be stored for three months without any damage.

DFRL would extend technical support along with machinery for these units. DFRL would assist in the establishment of one unit while NABARD and Agriculture University will share expertise for two other units in the district.

The team of scientists has also inspected buildings at Rythu Bazar, DRDA’s TTDC campus and DWMA office premises to establish the food processing units.

A Tomato Incubation Centre will be commissioned in two months' time after its location is finalised. The unit needs electricity, water, building and storage facilities. The Tomato Incubation Centre will process at least 200kg of tomatoes a day. This will be procured from farmers.  

In the first stage, tomato sauce, ketchup and powder will be processed while the sweet orange and groundnut incubation centres would be started later.

The sweet orange processing units would prepare squash and juice while groundnut seed will be used for preparation of peanut butter, chikki, as also the salted and roasted peanuts.

Anantapur MP Talari Rangaiah, who made efforts to get the support of DRDO and DFRL, said the farmers were unable to sell tomato and other produce during peak season when there would be heavy output from farms.

“Instances of dumping loads of tomatoes on road-sides were common in Rayalaseema region when the farmers were unable to get minimum price on such produces”, Rangaiah recalled. He hoped that the food processing units would improve prices and also help the unemployed youths be part of the processing.

The incubation centres would provide necessary building and machinery for the unemployed youths. They need not invest in infrastructure. “After they succeed, they can establish their own units,” the MP said.

A consultant from AP Food Processing Society would help arrange marketing facilities at all levels.

Joint collector Gangadhar Gowd directed the related departments to increase the number of these processing units in the district.