The Hindu : Business : NAPCL constructs integrated pineapple pack house

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 20, 2007
ePaper

Business

Business

NAPCL constructs integrated pineapple pack house

K. Venkiteswaran

Apeda is providing 100 per cent grant for the project

KOCHI: Nadukkara Agro Processing Co Limited (NAPCL), which makes the JIVE brand of packaged fruit juice, has started construction of an integrated pineapple pack house with financial assistance of Apeda (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority).

Apeda is providing 100 per cent grant for the project on the premises of the factory at Nadukkara, Avoly panchayat, near Muvattupuzha, in the heart of Kerala's pineapple growing area.

The NAPCL is promoted by the State Government and the European Union to bring the benefits of value added agro-products to farmers who hold 70 per cent of the company shares.

The pack house will provide facilities for pre-cooling, grading and sorting, washing, pre-treatment and packing as per international standards.

The facilities envisaged in the pack house is as per the pre- and post-harvest protocol for export of fresh pineapple by sea and will give this venture an extra edge in the international market.

The pack house is expected to be ready by September 2007.

With the commissioning of the pack house, export market of pineapple will become a major segment to absorb the pineapple produced here, which is growing almost 15-20 per cent annually.

Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran inaugurated the pack house construction and Muhammed Hanish, Collector, Ernakulam inaugurated the tissue culture nursery.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Business