Potato processing plant to be set up at Rs. 2 billion investment

By Our Correspondent Bhairahawa, July 1: Final preparations are underway to establish the first and biggest automatic potato industry of the country in Rupandehi. The industry which is going to be established in Mainhiya of Suddodhan Rural Municipality will also be suitable to the environment.

Popular industrialist Krishna Paudel of Rupandehi is going to establish First Choice Food Pvt Ltd after the success of meat industry. The industry is going to be established with a total investment of Rs. 2 billion and production will start within six months.

The production capacity of the industry is 200 kgs per hour and it will give employment to more than 150 people directly. The industry will decrease the import by nearly Rs. 6 billion yearly. Currently, nearly Rs. 12 billion worth of potato and its produce is imported yearly in Nepal. Industrialist Paudel requested to not increase the customs duty and keep it unchanged.

Paudel went to Turkey for the study on potatoes and imported machines from Germany. He learned that the big-sized potatoes are found in Holland and India but it was not possible to bring seeds legally and it would take five years for Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) to do research and complete the process. He requested the then Chief Minister (CM) of Lumbini Province, Shankar Pokhrel, thinking that his enthusiasm would finish until then. The CM took it very positively and told him to bring seeds upto the customs and they would find a 

solution. Pokhrel did so and he brought 100 tonnes of seeds and tested it last year.  The test was successful in Nepal. Even the technicians from Holland were surprised and praised the Nepali specialist saying that it was better than in their country. Currently, in Nepal 12 to 14 quintals of potato is produced from 1 quintal seed but this seed produced 18 quintals which is nearly 1.5 times more. The industry guarantees that it will buy the potatoes at a higher rate than that of the market which is sure to make the farmers happy and on top of that the industry will also provide seeds, manure and technical help.

Last year the seeds were tested in Rupandehi, Kavre, Chitwan, Bardiya, Palpa and in National Potato Research Programme of Khumaltar and this year more than 600 tonnes of seeds will be produced by coordinating with other districts. From next year 10,000 tonnes will be produced and it will increase gradually.

The industry will produce french fries, noodles, chips, starch, aalu paratha, samosa which are sugar-free.

For the supply of potato the industry plans to engage 5,000, 20,000 and 50,000 farmers in potato cultivation in first, second and third phase respectively.