Una (HP): Himachal Pradesh’s first Dragon fruit processing plant will be set up at Behad Vitthal village of the Una district.
The Horticulture Department has approved the establishment of a processing plant and the department has issued a letter of intent for this to one Reva Soon, a progressive woman.
Importantly, the plantation of Dragon fruits was taking on a large scale in the Una district but there were problems with the sale of fruits.
However, with the setting up of the proposed fruit processing plant, the miseries of the Dragon fruit sellers will come to an end.
Rewa Sood, a progressive gardener and woman entrepreneur of Una district, had sent a project of 1.65 crores to the Horticulture Department for approval for setting up a dragon fruit processing plant and that has been approved by the department.
A spokesman of the Horticulture Department told UNI that Reva Sood will also get a 35 per cent grant from the Horticulture Department for the construction of this plant.
Reva Sood said the climate of the Una district was suitable for the cultivation of dragon fruit and many farmers have joined the cultivation of this fruit with the encouragement of the district administration. Now those farmers will not have to wander to sell their crops.
She was happy to say that her project had been approved by the state government.
She said that in the beginning, fifteen people will also get employment due to the installation of a dragon fruit-based processing plant.
Apart from this, the number of youths who will get employment by joining the supply chain and nursery works will be up to 35-50. So far, 2,700 dragon fruit saplings have been planted under MGNREGA in the district. Among them, 2,100 saplings have been planted under the Bangana sub-division and 600 in Gagret’s oel village.
Dragon fruit-based processing plant is the first of its kind in the state. The district administration is making continuous efforts to increase the income of the farmers and the planting of dragon fruit is being promoted.
