RIL to set up two agri-based projects in Haryana

Chandigarh, Apr 3 (UNI) Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) headed by Mr Mukesh Ambani has decided to set up two agri-processing and agri-infrastructure facilities in the food parks developed by Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) at Rai in Sonepat district and Saha in Ambala district.

Both the projects are likely to commence by the beginning of next year and would provide the much needed thrust to crop diversification and improve the financial status of the farmers in the state.

The projects were approved for allotment of land by the Higher Level Plot Allotment Committee of the government headed by Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Industries and Commerce in a meeting held here today.

Disclosing this after the meeting, HSIDC Managing Director Rajeev Arora said that the proposed RIL projects are a part of the backward linkages programmes for the food retail chain being set up by the company all over the country. HSIDC has allotted about 16 acres of land at Saha and 12 acres at Rai in the food parks for setting up these two projects.

The capital cost of both the projects is estimated at Rs 93 crore which is proposed to be financed entirely through the internal accruals of the company. The RIL, as a part of their growth initiative has decided to venture into retail business and various agri initiatives by way of dis-intermediation of food supply chain and up-gradation of technology and related practices.

The company plans to achieve global competitiveness in food retail business by integrating the entire agricultural infrastructure.This,RIL believes will lead to fast tract development of agro-economy of Haryana and the country as a whole. The measures would benefit the end consumers.

Mr Arora said that the two projects envisage primary processing such as pre-cooling, sorting, grading and waxing followed by the food processing. The finished food products shall be sent to warehouses or cold storages with distribution and logistics with IT facilities. The projects also include testing and certifying laboratories and retail and market intelligence cells.

In the first phase of the projects it is proposed to process 300 tonnes of fruits per year apart from the preliminary processing of vegetables. The raw material will be fresh fruits, vegetables and dry fruits.

While the vegetables shall be procured from the local agri farms and small and marginal farmers of Haryana, the fruits will be procured from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Western UP, Uttaranchal, J&K and Punjab.

The development of agri-infrastructure facilities by RIL initially at two places is likely to effect the economy of the State in a big way. The projects would provide the much wanted agri-tech infrastructure for inputs, production, harvesting, processing, distribution, retailing and exports from two strategic locations in the state, Mr Arora added.

The utilisation of latest technology in the agri business and the easy access of the same to the farmer community in the state will increase competitiveness of Indian produce in the global market. RIL also plans to train and educate the farmers of the respective regions for pre and post harvesting techniques to enhance and standardise the agriculture production.

The MD said that RIL will also enter into contract farming for diversification of crop patterns to the benefit of farming community. This will yield to enhanced earnings per unit to the farmers. Besides the contribution to the revenue of the state by way of duties and taxes, the projects would also help in the development of local industries with improved infrastructure facilities and bigger probabilities of ancillarisations programmes.

UNI