TN to invite bids to set up primary processing centres

Tamil Nadu government would soon invite bids from agro-based investors to set up infrastructure to run primary processing centres and to procure vegetables from farmers and retail in various parts of the state.

A decision to invite the bids was taken at the investors' consultation meet here Thursday.

Accordingly, the agro-based investors would provide the necessary machinery to run the primary processing centres to process the fruits and vegetables in Krishnagiri and Coimbatore districts in the first phase, an initiative between NITI Aayog and the Tamil Nadu government.

Each processing centre would pay 'good prices' to farmers on purchase of agricultural produce and sell them to retail fruits and vegetable shops, an official press release said.

The state agricultural marketing department is implementing a project 'Supply Chain Management of Fruits, Vegetables and other Perishables in Districts of Tamil Nadu", following an announcement by state Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The Rs 398.75-crore project aims to integrate the farmers with major market centres, processors and consumers and to provide the infrastructure for perishable fruits and vegetables in order to reduce post-harvest losses.

The NITI Aayog selected the project in Tamil Nadu under the 'Development Support Services to States for Infrastructure projects' in November 2017, following a memorandum of understanding it signed with the Tamil Nadu government.

Coimbatore and Krishnagiri districts have been selected in the first phase for the project under the public, private partnership mode since these places have major investments from the state government.

A total of 10 primary processing centres was being established in Krishnagiri district at Rs 136.18 crore and seven in Coimbatore at Rs 40.74 crore, the release said.

The project would be implemented as a "hub and spoke model" in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruchirapalli, Dindigul, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

While the construction of post-harvest infrastructure in the primary processing centres almost completed in Coimbatore and Krishnagiri districts, it was nearing completion in other districts,the release said.

NITI Aayog joint secretary and advisor Vikram Singh Gaur, agricultural production commissioner and principal secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and senior government officials particpated in the investors consultation meeting, the release added.