A year since the inauguration of the integrated vegetable and banana pack house, meant to facilitate exports, the unit is yet to become functional. It is the first such initiative of the Vegetable And Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) in the State.
When the unit was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar in November last year, the farming community expected that the project would ensure for them a sustainable income by avoiding middlemen.
The multi-crore project has been set up on 50 cents of leased land at Kammana, near Mananthavady, in Wayanad.
It was envisaged to make the unit a hub of export-quality farm produce such as bananas, vegetables, and tubers. The produce was to be collected through self-help groups (SHGs) under the VFPCK, and graded and packed at the unit as per the guidelines of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The project was set up at a cost of ₹2.18 crore, of which 80% was funded by the APEDA.
Facilities such as a pre-cooling unit with a 10-tonne capacity, six huge tanks for washing the produce, automatic conveyor belt unit, and a freezer with a capacity of 20 tonnes were set up at the packing unit. Four vehicles, including three small goods carriers and a customised truck with freezer, were also purchased.
Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said as the unit was set up mainly for export purpose, negotiations with exporters were under way. Further discussions would be held on November 15 following which the unit was expected to be functional, Mr. Sunil Kumar added.
The Agriculture Department says the district produces nearly 5,00,000 tonnes of bananas, 40,000 tonnes of vegetables and fruits, and 15,000 tonnes of tubers a year.