Mother Dairy starts work on Ranchi F&V processing plant

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the proposed integrated hi-tech plant for F&V processing to be constructed in the Nagdi Block of Ranchi by Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt Ltd (MDFVPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The unveiling of the foundation stone was done in the presence of National Dairy Development Board and MDFVPL Chairman T Nanda Kumar in the presence of other Mother Dairy officials.  

On completion, this would be Safal’s first plant in the region with Hi-Tech facilities for F&V processing.  Speaking on the occasion, Kumar said, “This is one of the largest interventions of Mother Dairy (SAFAL) in rural India. This has been done primarily to provide better technology, extension and marketing services to farmers of Jharkhand who produce very high quality fruit and vegetables, but are unable to realize adequate prices in the absence of stable demand and a reliable buyer. Mother Dairy (SAFAL)’s entry will not only expand the market for fruit and vegetables, but also improve and stabilize prices for farmers in the region.  Mother Dairy (SAFAL) will strive to improve the economic well-being of the farmers without compromising its commercial interests.”

Endowed with abundant mineral deposits, Jharkhand’s agro-ecology is ideal for horticulture crops. Farmers in the state are known to be using less pesticide as compared to others as the soil is young and has high capacity of fixation of humus. The state is ranked sixth nationwide in terms of tomato produce and fifth in green peas production. Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd, Managing Director S Nagarajan said, “Through this state-of-the-art facility, we will strive to explore better opportunities for almost 50,000 farmers and their produce.”