KURNOOL: The tomato processing unit being established in Pathikonda and managed by a local farmer producer organisation (FPO) would be a boon to local tomato farmers.
The unit is designed to provide solutions for excess production of tomatoes during peak seasons, enabling farmers to safely store surplus produce. The processing unit aims also to diversify the range of tomato-based products, thereby reducing potential losses and increasing profitability for farmers.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation for the Rs 12 crore project on Nov 30. The works are to be completed in six months. The district administration has provided 3.6 acres of land to the AP Food Processing Society (APFPS) for the purpose.
Andhra Pradesh leads in tomato productivity with an output of 41.22mt per hectare. The state has 62,000 hectares of tomato cultivation, yielding about 22.17 lakh metric tonnes.
In Kurnool district, tomatoes are grown on 4,788 hectares, producing around 1,67,591mt annually. Pathikonda constituency is known for its tomato cultivation by small farmers having 1 to 3 acres of land each.
Tomatoes are grown mainly in two seasons -- August to October (kharif) and December to April (rabi). Farmers sell their produce at the Pathikonda wholesale market, the second largest market in AP -- after the Madanapalle market in Chittoor district. However, due to market price fluctuations, farmers often don't get fair prices.
The processing unit on Pathikonda-Hosur Road aims to address this by reducing wastage and promoting entrepreneurship, said B Umadevi, project director of AP micro irrigation project. The issue of tomato wastage due to inadequate post-harvest infrastructure and value addition would also be resolved, she said.
APFPS will set up the unit and then transfer its ownership, along with the machinery, to the M/s Pathikonda vegetable farmers producer company Ltd while retaining the land ownership. FPO will select an operator for the unit through a competitive bidding process.
The unit, with a capacity of 1,200 tonnes per month, will operate 300 days a year with 8-hour shifts. It would create jobs for about 50 persons and produce tomato puree, flakes, ketchup, dry powder for noodles and baking, and ready-to-eat products. The FPO involved has over 1,000 farmer members and works with NABARD.
Before the construction begins, the APMIP is inviting expressions of interest from agencies for operation and maintenance. It will also modify the Detailed Project Report (DPR) based on practical suggestions from these agencies.
