Mancherial: Food processing zone works on track

Mancherial: The works of a special food processing zone on the outskirts of coal belt town Bellampalli town gained momentum, rekindling hopes of the unemployed and farmers. Incidentally, it is the maiden facility to come up in the district. Under the new Telangana Food processing policy, touted to be a game-changer, the government decided to […]

Mancherial: The works of a special food processing zone on the outskirts of coal belt town Bellampalli town gained momentum, rekindling hopes of the unemployed and farmers. Incidentally, it is the maiden facility to come up in the district.

Under the new Telangana Food processing policy, touted to be a game-changer, the government decided to establish food processing units across the State. Rice mills, industries, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, flowers, vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, milk, and dairy products food processing units would be established in nine districts. As part of this initiative, a food processing zone would be created in Bellampalli, spending Rs 1,500 crore.

A piece of 355 acres situated in survey number 177 on the outskirts of Kannala was allocated for the zone. Tenders for laying internal roads and culverts in the zone have been completed, at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. Around 30 varieties of agriculture-based foods will be processed at the zone, a first facility to be set up in Mancherial district.

TSIIC (Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation) Zonal Managar Ajmeera Swamy said that the works of the infrastructure for the food processing unit were commenced and were being executed at a desired pace. He stated that steps were being taken to set up an agriculture-based food processing zone, which is expected to change the face of the food processing sector in the district.

With the advent of the facility, jobless youngsters will be able to find livelihood in the unit in place of migrating to Hyderabad and other cities. Growers of paddy and fruits, lentils can sell their produce in the district and can make profits in farming. They are currently forced to export fruits to Hyderabad and Nagapur cities, shelling out huge amounts on transportation.

Mancherial district is fast earning the moniker of the rice bowl of Telangana. It is currently registering over 2 lakh metric tonnes of paddy per annum. It is one of the largest producers of mangoes in the State. Nennal, Bheemaram, Bellampalli, Bheemini, Hajipur, Jaipur, Mandamarri and Mancherial mandals are known to produce a wide range of varieties of the king of the fruits.

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