VIJAYAWADA: The state government on Friday signed MoUs with eight companies including the Netherlands government in the food processing sector. Representatives of seven companies from across the country and the Netherlands government signed the MoU in the presence of chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at his camp office in Tadepalli.
These companies would help farmers through the state government in the food processing sector, including harvesting, processing and packaging of fruits, vegetables, fish and aqua products.
The Netherlands government would help the state government and the farmers in food processing, technology, packaging, containers and other areas.
One of the firms, IFB, would assist the state government and the farmers in fish and aqua culture including technology, processing, packaging and export. The State government is focusing on maximum utilisation of aqua base in the state. The government had already proposed
Another company, ITC, would assist the government in mango and chillies. Mangoes are cultivated mostly in Vizianagaram, Krishna and Chittoor districts, which have greater demand in Western countries. The Lawrencedale Agro Processing India Private Limited too had signed the MoU in Mango, while BigBasket had signed the MoU for processing of Tomato and The Futuretech Foods India had signed the MoU with the government to help in all fruits including banana beside vegetables.
The National Research Center (NRC) for Banana had signed the MoU to help the government in banana processing, besides introducing technology in dry banana products.
The representatives of the NRC have also displayed the dry fruit banana products, which have better marketing facilities in the world.
Jaganmohan Reddy had requested the representatives of these companies to help the farmers in the state in food processing sector.
Minister for agriculture K Kanna Babu, Agriculture Mission vice-chairman MVS Nagi Reddy , agriculture special chief secretary Punam Malakondaiah and other officials were present when the MoUs were signed.
