IFFCO’s organic food JV with Sikkim govt coming up at Rangpo
21 Oct 2020
1
IFFCO’s Organic Joint Venture, SIFCO (Sikkim IFFCO Organics Ltd) has started construction work on two integrated food processing units at Rangpo, Sikkim on Monday. The work on the projects involving a total cost of around Rs50 crore, will be completed by October 2021 with production starting thereafter.
Chief minister of Sikkim Pawan Singh Tamang laid the foundation stone for these plants last year in presence of union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
The two integrated food processing units will process organic ginger, turmeric, large cardamom and buckwheat, giving a boost to organic farming in Sikkim as also organic farmers elsewhere in the North East.
The global pandemic had delayed the project by 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 per cent organic certified and hence non-toxic in nature. This will promote sustainable agriculture and promote Green Himalayan Economy, a ministry of chemicals and fertilizers release..
These Plants will be a great step forward in doubling farmers’ income as produce will be directly procured from the farmers which is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sikkim is already recognized as a 100 per cent 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 with huge export potential. SIFCO will market these produce to different markets of country and globally. In this regard two MoUs have already been signed; one with Blossoms Biodynamics, USA for utilising their marketing and distribution in the North American markets and other with Centar Rudolfa Steinera, Croatia for marketing its products in Croatia and the European Union.
