The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Theni to get cold storage facility

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Monday, Feb 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Theni to get cold storage facility

Staff Reporter

Agriculture Minister lays foundation stone in Chinnamanur

Long-awaited: Minister for Agriculture Veerapandi S. Arumugam looking at agriculture produce developed by Horticultural College and Research Station at Chinnamanur on Sunday.

THENI: Banana growers in this region need not depend on Bangalore for their cold storage needs. They would get an ultra-modern unit soon, said Minister for Agriculture Veerapandi S. Arumugam on Sunday.

Laying foundation stone for a cold storage facility-cum-ripening chamber for banana at Chinnamanur near here on Sunday, he said this facility would be set up on Agriculture Produces Marketing Committee campus at an estimated cost of Rs.6.76 crore of which 74 per cent would be borne by the government and the rest by Theni District Banana Growers’ Association. Subsidy component would be Rs.1 crore.

Cold storage facility would be available for 300 tonnes of fruits a day. Besides, 30 tonnes of fruits could be ripened at the chamber with capacity of 60 tonnes a day. Annual capacity of this facility was 8,000 tonnes.

Earlier, banana growers had to send the entire production to Bangalore for ripening and again to Chennai for marketing. They had to spend Rs.3.10 a kg — 60 paise for transportation to Bangalore, Rs.1.30 for ripening and 60 paise for freight to Chennai and another 60 paise to bring empty containers back to Chinnamanur from Chennai.

Costs to come down

Setting up of cold storage facility will restrict total costs to Re.1 only, thus saving Rs.2.10 a kg. (At present, one lorry load of raw banana is transported to Bangalore every day.)

With implementation of several farmers’ welfare schemes, farmers’ suicides were not prevalent in the State, he added.

Revenue Minister I. Periasamy said this facility would be a boon to farmers.

Secretary to Agriculture Surjit K Chaudhary said grape farmers should follow suit. He advised farmers to employ precision farming, adopt latest technologies and avoid chemical fertilizers. Poly greenhouse would be set up at Kodaikanal, he added.

Director for Agriculture B. Chandramohan said that profit could be enhanced by Rs.25,000. Fruits ripened through ripening chamber would get uniform colour and quality and fetch Rs.10 to Rs.11 a kg. But fruits ripened through ordinary method got Rs.6 to Rs.7 only.

Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Director Atul Anand said value addition was important to increase profit.

Commissioner for Agriculture S. Kosala Raman said soil testing card had been given to 6.5 lakh farmers. Soil testing laboratories were set up in 11 more districts.

Special Representative for Tamil Nadu in New Delhi P. Selvendran and Collector Har Sahay Meena spoke.

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