Irradiation unit planned in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The state horticulture mission, Andhra Pradesh, and the Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, are chalking out plans to set up an irradiation unit in close proximity to the international airport near Shamshabad on the city outskirts.

H Arun Kumar, executive director, state horticulture mission, said the facility will be set up at an estimated investment of Rs 15 crore in a public-private partnership mode.

“The facility will be a 100 per cent export-oriented unit for processing onions, chillies and mangoes. We are currently drafting a detailed project report and will soon call for expression of interest. The unit is expected to be fully operational by next year,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, the state horticulture mission, under the aegis of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Fapcci), is holding a one-day workshop on ‘Post harvest infrastructure in horticulture’ in Hyderabad on October 30, 2008.

“The main objective of the programme is to enable the stakeholders to familiarise with the latest techniques in processing of horticulture produce with a view to reducing post harvest losses and thereby enabling the growers to earn additional income,” Fapcci president Suraj Prasad Agarwal said. About 300 delegates are expected to participate in the event.