New Delhi: IFFCO's Organic Joint Venture Sikkim IFFCO Organics Limited (SIFCO) has begun construction work at Rangpo in Sikkim integrated food processing units. The work will be completed by October 2021 and it will start production afterwards. The two integrated food processing units are being laid with a total construction cost of around Rs 50 crores. The Bhumi-pujan for the same was carried out on Monday.
The foundation stone for these plants was laid by Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Singh Tamang in presence of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar last year. It will not only give a boost to organic farming in Sikkim but also to organic farmers elsewhere in the North-Eastern States. The global pandemic had delayed the project by a few months. SIFCO will soon start trading fresh ginger through its agencies in Germany, Italy and other European countries. The entire range of SIFCO products will be 100 percent organic certified and hence non-toxic in nature. This will promote sustainable agriculture and promote Green Himalayan Economy.
The construction work started with a formal traditional Bhumi Pujan which was held at the construction site in Rangpo. Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly LB Dass, Agriculture Minister of Sikkim Lok Nath Sharma and Sikkim IFFCO Organics' Managing Director Manish Gupta and other senior officials along with the officials of IFFCO, State of Sikkim and Sikkim IFFCO Organics Limited were present at the occasion. These Plants will be a great step forward in doubling farmers' income as products will be directly procured from the Farmers which is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by 2022.
Sikkim is already recognised as a 100 percent organic state. The aim of the JV is to provide a safer food supply chain to the consumers in India and elsewhere in the world. The JV will be initially processing ginger, turmeric, large cardamom and buckwheat. These crops are the major produce of Sikkim state with huge export potential.
SIFCO will market these products to different markets of the country and world. In this regard two MoUs have already been signed; one with Blossoms Biodynamics, USA for utilizing their marketing and distribution in the North American markets and the other with Centar Dr Rudolfa Steinera, Croatia for marketing its products in Croatia and the European Union.
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