Date:21/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/21/stories/2008032157780500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chilli processing unit to open today

Special Correspondent

The STCL plant at Byadagi has the capacity to process 20 million tonnes of chillies a day

The processed chillies will fetch good prices
for farmers
Unit has facility to remove pesticides
from produce

BANGALORE: Chilli growers in the northern parts of the State, who often face fluctuations in the prices of their hot produce, have reason to cheer. The Union Government-run STCL (formerly Spices Trading Corporation Limited) has set up a chilli processing plant at Byadagi, the home for the world-famous Byadagi variety of chillies, in Haveri district.

Said to be the first of its kind in the country, the state-of-the-art chilli processing unit will commence operations from Friday, STCL Chairman Arvind Pandalai told The Hindu, on the sidelines of a function organised to celebrate the silver jubilee of STCL. The chairman was here to lay the foundation stone for the construction of STCL corporate office at Nandini Layout. The Rs. 5-crore chilli processing unit will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh.

STCL General Manager Devaraje Gowda said the new unit, set up on a five-acre plot, has the capacity to process 20 million tonnes of fresh red chillies a day.

It would not only process superior quality chillies, but also market the branded quality chillies to consumers in the domestic and international market.

Higher value

Sale of processed chillies is expected to fetch remunerative prices for farmers because of value addition. Besides, it would also prevent the recurrence of unfortunate incidents of “frustrated” farmers abandoning their chilli produce either in the market or on the roads due to crash in prices of produce.

The official said the processing unit will also provide warehousing facility to farmers at low costs. It would also have procedures for removing pesticides, dust and contaminating elements from the produce.

The processing plant is fully automatic and all the operations, right from slicing of chillies to packing the chilli powder and flakes will be done without human intervention.

Meanwhile, explaining the salient features of the proposed corporate office of the STCL, Central Public Works Department Chief Engineer S. Chinnaswamy said the building will have two basements and six floors with a total plinth area of 6.975 sq.m. It will be an energy-efficient structure which will have rainwater harvesting and the facility to tap solar energy. The construction is likely to be completed by December 2008.

Turnaround

STCL Managing Director K.C. Ponnana said that the STCL had come a long way from the days of its inception in 1983 when it was earning a turnover of only Rs. 54 lakh to the present, where its turnover has touched Rs. 2,300 crore. In fact, the Government had even planned to close down the institution as it was in the red for sometime, he recalled. .