Fruit shortage fear looms for Nilakuthi project
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 06 2012:
Even though State's Industry Department is planning to install a unit capable of churning out 7500 packets of fruit juice per hour there is apprehension of the Food Park, being developed at Nilakuthi, facing shortages of fruits when fully operational.
Issues concerning expeditious development of the Food Park and installation of additional unit are said to have figured prominently at a meeting of State's Industry Department officials and Department of Commerce at New Delhi today.
The additional unit is for specifically packaging the fruit juice in tetra packs, said a source while informing that Principal Secretary (Commerce & Industries) O Nabakishore led the State delegation at the meeting.
The Nilakuthi project is being implemented by the Industry Department with the Export Development Fund.
While confiding that the Department of Commerce, Govt of India has approved sanctioning Rs 24 crores for the additional unit of the food park, an informed source conceded that there is strong apprehension of whether fruits available/grown in the State alone would be commensurate to the requirements for sustaining the project to its maximum capacity.
Opining that ensuring fruit crop abundance is a necessity for the industry to flourish, the source mooted that Horticulture Department will have to take up relevant measures to grow fruits in plentiful at suitable locations in the State.