Claas to set up major combine harvester plant in Punjab

Morinda, Feb 22 (UNI) Claas, a Germany-based leading harvesting specialist company, is setting up a combine harvester plant at Morinda in Punjab with an investment of over 19 million euros.

This would be the second manufacturing facility of the global company in India after Faridabad in Haryana, which was set in 1992.

The company has bought land for the plant which will come up in two phases. Phase one will attract an investment of approximately 11 million euros and was scheduled to start production in mid 2008.

The second phase will be an expansion of the facility with an annual production capacity of over 1,500 combine harverstes and will offer employment to over 500 people, company Deputy Chairperson Cathrina Claas told reporters here today.

Ms Claas said the new plant will manufacture combine harvesters Crop Tiger 60 combine harvester after a new research and development at Faridabad for Indian conditions and tested in operation during last harvest. It would be offered to farmers at a competitive price, she stressed.

Besides meeting the local demand, the company will export its combine harvester to countries in Asia, Africa and West Coast countries.

UNI