Markfed to set up new unit in Rajpura

In order to cater to the growing demand for ready to eat food in overseas market, The Punjab State Cooperative Supply & Marketing Federation (Markfed), a nodal agency for agri export is planning to set up state of the art food processing plant at Rajpura (Punjab) for ready to eat food. The proposed facility would attract an investment of Rs 20 crore and it would have installed capacity of 10,000,000 cans per annum.

At present, it has a processing facility at Jalandhar, having an installed capacity of 4,000,000 cans per annum. Out of the total production, it exports about 3,000,000 cans per annum of ready to eat vegetables to various countries. Once the new facility is operational, the operations at Jalandhar unit might be stalled.

 

Speaking to Business Standard, Markfed Executive Director M B S Sandhu said, “We have hired Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore for a project report and they are likely to submit it very soon. The proposed food processing plant would be spread over 7 acres and we would be infusing Rs 20 crore for setting up the unit”.

Having received overwhelming response for its products from overseas countries, in the very first year of operation it is planning to export about 7,500,000 cans per annum from its new facility.

On being asked about future plans, he said, “We are planning to introduce organic canned foods for the overseas market like Sarson Ka Saag and some other ready to eat vegetables by this year. For the proposed venture, we have entered into contract farming with the farmers.”

At present, it exports ready to eat canned foods and bottled products overseas markets mainly to the Middle East, North America, Europe and Australia. Officials at Markfed informed that at present Markfed Canneries at Jalandhar manufacturers a wide range of processed ‘Sohna’ brand ready to eat food products like Sarson Ka Saag & other ethnic food for domestic and international markets.