Unknown disease strikes Passion fruit plants at Mao, Exotic Juice Ltd suspends production
ICAR scientists roped in to diagnose ailment
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 17 2012: Owing to widespread destruction of passion fruit plants by a serious unknown plant disease, Exotic Juice Ltd, which at one point of time could sell its products in the international market, has stopped production of passion fruit juice for the past two seasons.

Plant Manager of Exotic Fruit Ltd, L Mathibo told The Sangai Express that Kayi Organic Farmers Association, formed by the farmers of Mao area, used to grow tea leaves some ten years back.

As farming of tea was not that successful, the association started plantation of passion fruits in some areas on trial basis, he added.

However, the trial turned out to be successful and the farmers were inspired to grow the fruit widely.

Later, Exotic Juice Ltd set up a processing plant with loans from Union Ministry of Food Processing and Industries, North East Financial Institution, Small Farmers' Business Consortium and Export Import Bank.

A Passion fruit farm at Thenmual village, CCpur : Courtesy Passion Fruit Growers Association

The equipment and machines of the processing plant were acquired from Kolkata based Bertuzzi Company in collaboration with Mumbai based Pennwalt Ltd, he added.

The equipments include bulk aseptic packaging and concentrator with aroma recovery technology.

Saying that the company started commercial production of passion fruit juice in 2004, Mathibo said that the processing plant which is capable of processing two metric tonnes of passion fruit per hour, processes the raw fruits in two shifts.

Mathibo said that the product was sold not only in the local markets but also exported to foreign countries like South Africa, UAE and other Middle East countries.

He added that raw material of the exotic juice was supplied not only by the farmers of Mao area but also by farmers from Churachandpur and Ukhrul districts etc with financial assistance from SBI and UBI.

Later, passion fruits were also supplied by the farmers of Wakha, Makokchung, Phek and Kohima districts, he added.

Mathibo further said, although the processing plant could earn only a meagre profit from the local market, profits from the international market was huge.

However, for the past two seasons, Exotic Juice Ltd has stopped production even after its product could reach international market and give employment to more than 60 people owing to wide destruction of passion fruit plants by an unknown plant disease.

Although scientists from ICAR are trying to identify the cause of the disease, nothing could be ascertained till date, he added.

On the otherhand, Exotic Juice Ltd is looking for investments for the introduction of scientific farming to the worried farmers, Mathibo said.

The processing plant is also putting in effort to process pineapple, peach, plum and orange, he added.