Thiruvananthapuram: The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh, will on Friday inaugurate a fresh chilli processing plant at Byadagi in Karnataka. This is expected to help the cause of the chilli trade in the country. Being set up by the Thiruvananthapuram-based National Institute for Inter-disciplinary Sciences and Technology (NIIST) on a turnkey basis, the plant will have a capacity to process 20 tonnes of fresh chilli per day.
This is one of many such turnkey ventures involved in by the NIIST, an affiliate of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said Dr. T.K. Chandrashekar, Director. Pioneers in the oilseed and spice processing technology, the centre has extended technical expertise to regions as far as Manipur and Meghalaya. The next venture is expected to come up in the state of Sikkim.
This plant will produce quality “Byadagi chilli” in rich colour to stringent international standards and free of aflatoxins. Unlike the conventional process of sun-drying the fresh chilli, the garden-fresh produce will be converted into the end product within a few hours of reaching the factory.
COLOUR VALUE
This will ensure an end product with a colour value at least 20 per cent higher than what would have been possible through conventional means. The sun-drying process would take 10 to 12 days, and will lead to improper drying, loss of carotenoids, propagation of aflatoxins, apart from accumulation of dust and bird droppings.
The chilli prices are determined by the moisture content, high colour value and low aflatoxin levels. The processing technique adopted at this unit will ensure a premium product which is commercially viable, Dr. Chandrashekar said. The washing of the fresh chilli prior to processing in Byadagi plant will ensure the removal of adhering mud and dust and surface pesticides, if any.
“The enhanced colour value will fetch a proportionate increase in prices and with the marketing expertise of our client this unit is going to be a trend setter in the chilli processing sector in the years to come,” he said. The chilli growers of the region would be the major beneficiary of this project, he added.
This is one of many such turnkey ventures involved in by the NIIST, an affiliate of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said Dr. T.K. Chandrashekar, Director. Pioneers in the oilseed and spice processing technology, the centre has extended technical expertise to regions as far as Manipur and Meghalaya. The next venture is expected to come up in the state of Sikkim.
This plant will produce quality “Byadagi chilli” in rich colour to stringent international standards and free of aflatoxins. Unlike the conventional process of sun-drying the fresh chilli, the garden-fresh produce will be converted into the end product within a few hours of reaching the factory.
COLOUR VALUE
This will ensure an end product with a colour value at least 20 per cent higher than what would have been possible through conventional means. The sun-drying process would take 10 to 12 days, and will lead to improper drying, loss of carotenoids, propagation of aflatoxins, apart from accumulation of dust and bird droppings.
The chilli prices are determined by the moisture content, high colour value and low aflatoxin levels. The processing technique adopted at this unit will ensure a premium product which is commercially viable, Dr. Chandrashekar said. The washing of the fresh chilli prior to processing in Byadagi plant will ensure the removal of adhering mud and dust and surface pesticides, if any.
“The enhanced colour value will fetch a proportionate increase in prices and with the marketing expertise of our client this unit is going to be a trend setter in the chilli processing sector in the years to come,” he said. The chilli growers of the region would be the major beneficiary of this project, he added.
