APEDA to provide HPMC Rs 6.15 Cr for upgrading 4 packing houses in Himachal

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the central government agency under ministry of commerce and industry today entered into an Memorandum of Understanding with Himachal Produce Marketing Corporation (HPMC) for providing Rs 6.15 crore financial assistance for upgrading 4 packing houses with latest technology.

Pravin Gupta, general manager APEDA, on behalf of the funding central organisation and Madan Chauhan, executive director HPMC, on behalf of the state public undertaking signed the agreement in Delhi today.

Prakash Thakur, director APEDA disclosed that the terms agreed for are to provide financial assistance for setting up three integrated apple packing houses as common facility in Rekong Peo in Kinnaur district, Jarol Tikkar and Gumma in Shimla district and one integrated vegetable packing house as common facility at Naduan in Hamirpur district.

The Rekong Peo packing house would be set up with a cost of Rs 1.84 crores out of which APEDA would provide and financial assistance of Rs 97.28 Lakhs. The Jarol Tikkar pack house would cost Rs 2.47 crore of which APEDA is to provide financial assistance of Rs 1.22 crore; the Gumma pack house would cost Rs 2.60 crore o which it would get an assistance of Rs 1.30 crore and the Nadaun vegetable packing house would cost Rs 3.91 crore of which an assistance of Rs 2.65 lakh would be provided by APEDA, said Thakur.

Setting up of these world class packing houses would help to meet the infrastructural requirements of apple and vegetable growers. These centres are being designed to function as a major export facility for the apples and vegetables from Himachal Pradesh, said Prakash Thakur.