Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, RK Mathur inaugurated Apricot Processing Plant at the Centre of Excellence of the Horticulture Department near Sangam in Nimoo on August 24.

Chairman, LAHDC Leh, Advocate Tashi Gyalson; MP Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal; Executive Councillors Ghulam Mehdi, Stanzin Chosphel, and Advisor Umang Narula were present.

Director, Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Dr. Anil Dutt Semwal, briefed about the plant, and officials demonstrated the working of the Apricot Processing Plant.

The Apricot Processing Plant is a joint initiative between UT Administration and Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) to demonstrate complete supply chain management of apricot, including post-harvest management through the expertise of DRDO’s Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) and DFRL. The plant is equipped with a sorting and grading line, pre-processing line for fresh fruit, dehydration and vacuum drying of fruit, pulp/puree/jam/ready-to-serve (RTS) beverage line, fruit canning line, apricot seed extraction line, cold room, blow molding machine, diesel generator, effluent treatment plant, boiler, and water purification system, etc.

The plant is aimed at reducing fruit wastage, improving value addition, promoting crop diversification, ensuring a better return to the farmers, promoting employment, and increasing export earnings.