The Patanjali Mega Food & Herbal Park, established by Patanjali in MIHAN, Nagpur, will house Asia’s largest orange processing plant, said Patanjali Ayurveda Limited MD Acharya Balkrishna on Friday.
Addressing a press conference in MIHAN, Nagpur, Balkrishna paid tribute to the land of Nagpur, calling it a land of spirituality and revolution, one that has shaped the country and its Constitution. He further stated that this land will now open the doors to prosperity for farmers through Patanjali’s new agricultural revolution.
He emphasised that this plant is Asia’s largest single-point food processing unit and expressed immense pride in establishing it despite numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also announced that the plant will be officially inaugurated on Sunday, March 9, by Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He remarked that whenever Vidarbha is mentioned, images of farmer suicides and struggling, distressed farmers come to mind. He expressed confidence that the MIHAN-based orange processing plant will help change this grim reality, urging everyone to support and collaborate in this mission.
“We are determined to transform the plight of farmers and the agricultural system in this region. This is our resolve,” he affirmed.
Balkrishna highlighted that the plant has a daily processing capacity of 800 tons. It will process not only A-grade oranges, but also B and C-grade produce, including premature fruits and those that fall due to storms. The plant follows a zero-wastage system and ensures that every part of the fruit is utilised.
The process begins with extracting volatile and fragrance oils from orange peels using advanced foreign technology and in-depth research. Since such a large plant cannot be sustained solely by juice production, significant focus has also been placed on by-products. He stated that tremendous effort and dedication have gone into bringing this plant to fruition.
Today, nearly every farmer from every village in this region is connected with Patanjali, and many talented individuals have also come to the fore. The priority is to provide employment to local people and ensure the prosperity of local farmers. He further noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to develop a skilled workforce through training programmes, and Patanjali is leading this initiative.
He elaborated that the plant is equipped with an advanced system adhering to modern standards, including packaging lines, Technopak technology, and advanced research labs. He assured that Patanjali’s products are of top-class quality, competing in the global market. However, their primary focus is to provide export-quality products to Indian consumers.
Based on the availability of raw materials, the plant will also process lime, amla (Indian gooseberry), pomegranate, guava, grapes, bottle gourd, carrot juice, mango and orange pulp, as well as onion and tomato paste.