Cold storage, packhouse and food processing facilities will be built with an investment of about Rs 124 crore; Modern agriculture will get a boost in 10 thousand hectare area
Mumbai (Anil Beadag): An important initiative is being taken in Nashik towards connecting the Indian agriculture sector with modern technology, better infrastructure and strong market system. Maharashtra's Nashik is moving towards developing as a major hub of horticulture development after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the works of 12 horticulture clusters across the country. Under this initiative, Prime Fresh Limited has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the Nashik Peri-Urban Vegetable Cluster Project.
The project, with a proposed investment of about Rs 124 crore, aims to modernize the entire system of vegetable production, storage, processing and marketing. Under this, collection centre, integrated packhouse, cold storage of 6,000 metric tonne capacity and frozen storage of 3,000 metric tonne capacity will be developed. Apart from this, modern food processing facilities, digital traceability and quality control systems will also be established. Special attention will also be paid to training farmers in modern agricultural practices and better crop management.
The project aims to benefit approximately 11,000 farmers and encourage modern farming in 10,000 hectares of agricultural area. Better storage and cold-chain facilities will help reduce post-harvest losses. At the same time, with organized market connectivity and expansion of processing facilities, farmers will get opportunities to get better markets and fair prices for their produce.
Hiren Gailani, Whole-Time Director, Prime Fresh Limited, said that the Nashik Cluster project is an important achievement for the company. The company's priority is to reduce post-harvest losses of agricultural products while empowering farmers through modern technology, cold-chain infrastructure and direct market linkages.
The Nashik Peri-Urban Vegetable Cluster Project is expected to make the agricultural supply chain of the region more organized and efficient. Through this, efforts will be made to provide better facilities to the farmers from production to storage, processing and marketing. If the project develops as per the set goals, it can play a significant role in value addition, employment opportunities and improvement in farmers' income in the agriculture sector of Nashik.