Shimla: Facing stiff competition from Chinese companies, HP Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corp (HPMC) has been able to secure orders from Parle Agro and Patanjli Yogpeeth for 1000 tones of apple juice concentrate.
Managing director HPMC Madan Chauhan disclosed that while the government fruit processing unit had a standing order for 700 tons of juice concentrate from Patanjli Yogpeeth, Parle Agro had recently placed an order for procuring 300 tons.
“We have already supplied 180 tons of concentrate juice to Patanjli Yogpeeth,†he said, “for which and memorandum of understanding was signed during Baba Ramadev’s visit to the state, earlier in the year.†The large order is to be met over a two year period, he added.
Horticulture minister Narinder Bragta, who was also present on the occasion said that the state government had been asking the central government to impose anti-dumping duties on apple juice concentrate being imported from China. “The demand for domestically processesed concentrate juice was taking a big hit,†he said.
The apple concentrate is used widely in the confectionary industry and also blended with a number of beverages.
To make the concentrate, HPMC buys processable grade apples from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
