Haryana to Launch Kinnow Juice Processing Facility in Sirsa
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Chandigarh, April 6 (NationPress) The Chief Secretary of Haryana, Anurag Rastogi, chaired a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries on Infrastructure this past Monday to evaluate the establishment of a kinnow juice processing facility in Sirsa through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This meeting emphasized the state's determination to revolutionize its fruit economy and boost the earnings of kinnow growers.
Announced in the state budget, the cutting-edge plant is set to be constructed on the premises of the Vita Milk Plant in Sirsa, with a budget allocation of Rs 26.39 crore. The meeting highlighted that the project, developed under the PPP framework with a 33-year concession, aims to benefit a variety of stakeholders.
The Haryana Dairy Board will allocate around three acres of land for the juice plant, while the private entity will be responsible for the installation of necessary equipment, civil infrastructure, and operational management of the facility. The primary focus of the project is to establish a fruit and vegetable processing sector, particularly concentrating on kinnow juice processing, with potential viability gap funding support if needed.
Initially, the organization will set up a fruit and vegetable processing industry, with possibilities for expanding into an agriculture-based processing sector to be considered later, as stated by officials.
According to Rohit Yadav, Managing Director of the Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation, the state produces approximately 4.40 lakh metric tonnes of kinnow annually, with Sirsa contributing nearly 55 percent of this output. The new plant is projected to process about 9,000 metric tonnes of kinnow and 12,600 metric tonnes of other fruits each year, yielding premium packaged juice.
Notably, around 25 percent of kinnow production, mainly B-grade fruit that previously fetched lower prices, will now be utilized for value-added processing, thereby directly increasing farmers’ income. A significant aspect of this initiative is its focus on farmers, with the procurement of raw materials sourced from local Haryana farmers.
Chief Secretary Rastogi stressed that this project exemplifies the synergy between government infrastructure, cooperative institutions, and private enterprises aimed at generating sustainable rural income.