Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: In what could be huge boost for its untapped potential in the food processing sector, Odisha today received a multitude of investment proposals in the sector at the ongoing World Food India (WFI) event in New Delhi.
With an aim to tap huge diary potential of Odisha, Gujarat based dairy cooperative, Amul announced that it will invest around Rs 250 crore in the State.
Speaking on the sidelines of the WFI, cooperative agency's CMD RS Sodhi said, "Odisha is the second biggest market for Amul in India. Currently, there is a supply gap of 30 lakh liters of milk per day in the State. So we have decided to start milk collection from farmers in Odisha just like in West Bengal and Maharashtra," RS Sodhi said.
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Several other companies also expressed their desire to invest in Odisha. Exchanging dialogues with the Odisha delegation led by led by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Prafulla Samal, Keventer Agro Ltd, expressed their intent to set up a unit for maize processing, promote banana cultivation and also build a food processing laboratory in the state.
ITC and its subsidiary, Technico Technologies also said that they will be expediting their food plant at Khurda. TATA Global Beverages Ltd. said it has shortlisted Odisha as the potential location to set up a tea packaging unit with an investment of Rs 40 crore. The unit will help in providing employment to around 400 people and will be set up in an area of 20 acre.
A food processing unit at Paradip is also on the cards with AGT Foods, along with their co-promoters based in Canada, expressing their interest to make an investment of Rs 250 crore for the same.
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During the event, Additional Secretary of MSME department of Odisha, L N Gupta said that with 10 agro climatic zones and 480-km-long coastline coupled with surplus production of cereals, rice and vegetables; the state offers an enormous opportunity for the food processing industry.
As many as 25 leading food processing companies from the state were part of the Odisha Pavilion in the WFI-2017 Expo.
Odisha last year formulated a new Food Processing Polciy-2016 to put in place support measures and develop infrastructure for sustainable growth of the sector. To boost the sector, the state government had developed mega food parks at Deras and Rayagada and also made single window clearance facility available for investors.