The delicious Banarasi Langra mango, a horticulture product of this region of Purvanchal (eastern UP) which has received a Geographical Identification (GI) tag recently, will be directly sent from Kashi to Sharjah in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first consignment of Langra mangoes from the newly-constructed Integrated Pack House at Karkhiyaon will be flagged off from Kashi to Sharjah directly by the CM on Monday. The function will also be attended by UP Agricultural Minister Surya Pratap Shahi. Later, in the late afternoon Yogi will also address a public meeting at Jagatpur Inter College. The Union Minister Dr SP Baghel and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will also participate in the same programme.
Though in the recent past, consignments of several agricultural products from the region were sent abroad but it would be the first time when the entire processes will be done here before sending the same to abroad as the government is engaged in removing the middlemen from among the farmer entrepreneurs and the exporters. To help the farmers double their income, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is making continuous efforts. There will be single window clearance for export from this pack house as per the international standards. The equipment engaged in the Integrated Pack House for Food and Vegetable Export are indigenous. The pack house is accredited by APEDA for export as per international standards.
APEDA’s Deputy General Manager (DGM) Dr CB Singh said that the consignment of four to five metric tonnes of Banarasi Langra mangoes will be sent to Sharjah from the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Babatpur here. Apart from this, 30 to 35 MT of green chillies will be sent to Dubai and Doha via Mumbai through a 40 feet reefer (refrigerated) container by a water vessel. Apart from this, preparations are on to send other products including okra (Bhindi).
With the sending off this consignment, the CM will also give a big gift to the farmers of Purvanchal with the opening of this pack house constructed about 10 kilometers from the airport.
The pack house is equipped with adequate resources for export by sea, land and air. Pack house has been housed in about 4,461 square feet area at a cost of Rs 15.78 crore where the farmer entrepreneurs will also be given training to prepare products according to the demand of the international market. This will be the third integrated pack house in UP after Saharanpur and Lucknow.
Dr Singh said that the most important work of the pack house is to prepare the product as per international standards and demands. “Different countries have different demands and this pack house works to meet their demand,” he said, adding that the APEDA is active for export and helping the farmers to double the income. “Fruits and vegetables have to go through many processes in the pack house to prepare the product of international standard and keep their freshness, taste and other properties intact. Special care is taken that these products do not contain pests and any kind of disease. The equipment engaged in the Integrated Pack House are indigenous. Especially Banarasi Langra mangoes have to go through vapor heat and hot water treatment process, only then Langra mangoes will be able to be sent abroad,” said the APEDA DGM, highlighting the names and capacity of equipment fitted in the pack house including Vapor Heat Treatment Unit-2500 Kg/Batch (4 Hours); Hot Water Treatment Plant-500 Kg/Batch (1 Hour); Mango / Fruit Processing, Grading & Sorting Line -2000 Kg/Hr; Vegetable Processing Line -1000 Kg/hr; Cold Room -2 20-MT; Pre Cold Room -2 15-MT and Ripening room -10–MT capacity.