Food processing is a critical growth
and employment engine for India, Andhra Pradesh and Amaravati. The nation is a global
powerhouse for agriculture and food processing, ranking fifth overall in exports10,
production and consumption, second in fruit and vegetable production (10% of world
production) and first in terms of milk production (27% of world production).
Andhra Pradesh, known as the ‘Rice
Bowl of India’, is a leading state for agriculture and food processing. It ranks
in the top five for the production of rice, maize, tomatoes, sunflower, mango, sugarcane,
jowar and pulses such as arhar, tur and gram.18 Andhra Pradesh enjoys a diverse
climate with five agro climatic zones and 8.45 million hectares of net cultivable
area and fertile river systems of Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Vamsadhara and
Penna. The combination of natural endowments and developed infrastructure, irrigation
systems, utilities and manpower (for example, Andhra Pradesh has a 70% literacy
rate, 58 agricultural research stations and one sugar cane research station) make
this a favored state for food processors in the country.
With the region’s many advantages,
Amaravati can emerge as a hub for processing the top crops in the region including
sugarcane, rice, tomato, maize and mango. It could focus opportunistically on other
surplus crops including banana, lemon, brinjal, pulses, groundnut, coconut, and
cabbage. In the long term, Amaravati is envisioned as a hub for new-age agriculture
and food processing driving productivity improvements and innovations for India
and Asia. The long-term goal of the city is to emerge as the region’s top destination
for research and development, training and implementation in progressive agricultural
practices such as greenhouse farming, precision farming, vertical farming, fustigation,
hydroponics and automation.
In the short and medium term, Amaravati
aims to promote ecological farming practices while offering high-quality infrastructure
at competitive rates.To build a vibrant hub for food processing, Andhra Pradesh
Metropolitan Region Development Authority plans to explore the following implementation
ideas and requirements:
- Establish organic farming practices
- Create a food processing hub with shared
infrastructure within the industrial park
- Leverage regional advantages of top
crops in Krishna and Guntur
- Develop sector infrastructure including
cold chains and warehousing
- Promote Amaravati as a hub for modern
trade sourcing
- Improving productivity of local farmers
- Focus on value-added and progressive
farming services