GAIC to open onion pack house at Mahuva to facilitate exports

In a bid to facilitate exports of fresh onions from Gujarat to European markets, state-run Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation will set up an onion pack house at Mahuva APMC yard in Bhavnagar district.

"We have decided to set up a 3,000-tonne capacity onion pack house at Mahuva having grading, sorting and cold storage facility with an investment of Rs 6-7 crore," Managing Director GAIC D Thara told PTI.

"The Mahuva APMC has agreed to provide us land for setting up the pack house facility and soon the project would begin," Thara said. According to GAIC, Mahuva Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in Bhavnagar district, which is a known onion hub of the state having arrival of 4-5 lakh tonnes of onion annually. "The packaging house facility for fresh white onions at Mahuva will help the farmers establish link to European markets," Thara said.

Bhavnagar district so far boasts of only onion dehydration units where the vegetable is dehydrated and later converted into products like onion rings, flakes and granule powder, for exports. Onion is amongst the major cash crops of the state with an estimated production of 12-15 lakh tonnes annually.