JOIN USCM to lay foundation for sea food processing plant today
The foundation stone for the proposed modern sea food processing plant under the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) will be laid by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on January 28, in the premises of Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation (KFDC) in Hoige Bazaar.
Addressing a press meet, KFDC President Nithin Kumar said that the government under RKVY sanctioned Rs 25 crore to the KFDC to strengthen the fish marketing activities in Karnataka. The modern sea food processing plant will be set up at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
The plant was proposed, following the shortage of fish processing plants. As a result, the fish catch from Mangalore was being transported to Kerala and exported from there.
Plant features
The plant which will come up will consist of 500 tonne frozen storage, 10 tonne capacity flake ice plant, trolly freezer having a capacity of 10 tonne per day, plate freezer of 6 tonne capacity per day and 10 tonne chilled room.
This plant will have water purification unit (RO), Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), Quality control lab meeting the standards of export inspection council of India (AIC), European Union (EU) and will implement HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). It is proposed to produce frozen fish and fishery products, value added- ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat fishery products for domestic and export market.
The work of constructing the plant has been entrusted to the lowest bidder M/s ETA Engineering Company, Bangalore, for Rs 4.56 crore. The plant will be ready within a period of 9 months, he said and added that there is a lot of potential for processing of sea food for domestic and export market. “The establishment of the plant will help to supply fish and value added fishery products to other countries. This will also help in getting remunerative prices for the fish caught in Mangalore and neighbouring fishing harbours and will create employment to the local people,” said Kumar.
The foundation stone will be laid by the Chief Minister at 8.45 am. Deputy Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly N Yogish Bhat will preside.
District-In-Charge Minister Krishna J Palemar, State Fisheries, Science and Technology Minister Anand V Asnotikar, ZP President K T Shailaja Bhat, MLA U T Khader, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA K Abhayachandra, MLA B Ramanath Rai, MLA Vasanth Bangera, MLA S Angara, MLA Mallika Prasad, MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik, Coastal Development Authority Chairman B Nagaraj Shetty and others will be the chief guests.
20 modern, hygenic fish markets
KFDC Limited was sanctioned Rs 25 crore under RKVY in the year 2008-2009. The project is spread over a period of four years. As on December 31, 2011, Rs 13.19 crore has been spent out of the 17.85 crore released to the Corporation, said Kumar.
Work on the integrated fish retail outlet at Davangere, Chitradurga and Siddalingapura and Gokulam in Mysore are nearing completion. Work of Mathshyadarshinis -Fish restaurants in Yalahanka and near Government Aquarium in Bangalore is taken up.
The corporation has a target of having 20 modern and hygenic fish markets at the cost of Rs 10 lakh each. The Corporation has entered into an MoU with KVAFSU, Bidar, for the establishment of a 100 Tonne Frozen storage and an Aquarium Holding Unit is planned at Hebbal in Bangalore.
For quarantining and holding Aquarium Fishes Corporation has set up a unit in Hoige Bazar, Mangalore. The unit will be commissioned shortly. Under RKVY Rs 25 lakhs is earmarked for establishing ornamental fish production unit which includes training, infrastructure and subsidy, said Kumar.
Profit goes up
KFDC Limited with the financial support from state and central governments has improved performance in making profit for the last six years. The accumulated loss has come down from Rs 8.65 crore (2009-10) to Rs 7.52 crore (2010-11). The annual profit has gone up from Rs 71.22 lakh (2009-10) to Rs 107 lakh (2010-11). The turnover of the corporation has increased from Rs 58.76 crore (2009-10) to Rs 77.63 crore (2010-11), informed KFDC President Nitin Kumar.