New Delhi, December 30 (PTI): The northeast region's first specialised ginger processing plant in Meghalaya, which remained non-functional for several years, is likely to be revived in the beginning of 2021, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
Singh said this after reviewing the functioning of the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), a state-owned company under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
The specialised ginger processing plant, set up at the Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya, is likely to be functional at the beginning of 2021, he said in a statement.
Singh, the DoNER minister, said the plant was established in 2004 but it has remained non-functional for many years.
The NERAMAC has now undertaken the responsibility of reviving it and initiated the steps to operationalise it through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, he said.
Singh said the plant will not only process ginger but also help in preparing products like waxed ginger, ginger paste, ginger powder, ginger flakes and ginger oil. He said ginger has attained prominence in the recent months because of its reported properties as an immunity booster, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also referred to this recently.
The ginger products to be prepared from the unit, the minister said, will not only be available for domestic consumption but will also have a wider demand outside.
It will also fulfil the prime minister's call for ''Vocal for Local'', he said.
According to the NERAMAC, the northeastern region produces about 4,50,000 tonnes of high-quality ginger every year but most of it is sold at a low price due to lack of processing and cold storage facilities. The plant in Meghalaya is expected to give the much-needed relief to the ginger growers.
