India’s northwest state of Punjab is in line to receive five new government-funded packhouses before the end of the year, designed to improve the region’s horticultural business.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) announced it would give Rs53.5m (US$1.16m) to state-owned Punjab Agri Export Corporation Ltd (Pa grexco) to set the facilities up, reported India’s FnB News.
The aim of the project is to increase horticultural exports from the state, increase returns for growers and shelf life for produce, and to spur the private sector to set up their own coolstores and packhouses.
APEDA has set a target of 18 months to have all five packhouses up and running, but Pa grexco plans to beat that and have them operational within a year, the FnB News report stated.
The five sites will be located in Mushkabad in Ludhiana; Saholi and Lalgarh in Patiala; Kangmai in Hoshiarpur; and Babri in Gurdaspur.
The packhouses will include a mechanical grading line, pre-cooling chamber, coolstore, and a reefer and van pick up area.
