Delta Foods Thanjavur (DFT), a partnership firm incorporated to create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), opened a retail outlet in Thanjavur on Monday.
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The firm was incorporated in 2019 in Thanjavur with the objective to coordinate, cooperate and consolidate five different food processing units based on a cluster approach by roping in farmers producer organisations (FPO) for procurement of raw materials.
As the objective of PMKSY was to boost the growth of food processing, help farmers realise better returns and create employment opportunities in rural pockets as well, DFT was on the process of setting up food processing and storage infrastructure facilities on a 10-acre land near Gandharvakottai on the border of Thanjavur-Pudukottai district. The project had already been approved by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
With around 20 FPOs in delta and neighbouring districts showing interest to utilise the opportunity extended by DFT to market their produce such as paddy and other horticulture products, the firm decided to build up a brand for value-added products to be produced through rice, millets, food and vegetables, instant foods and animal feed processing units to come up at the cluster complex.
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Thus, a retail outlet to sell 24 variants of traditional varieties of rice, Adhanakottai cashew and pulses to sell them under the brand name ‘Delta Foods Thanjavur’ was opened here on Monday.
At present, the products are being outsourced till the FPOs who entered into contract farming deliver the produce for processing and sale under the brand name of the firm, according to N. Ramachandran, Managing Partner, DFT.
By entering into contract farming with DFT the FPOs need not depend on middlemen to sell their produce. Since the firm directly procured them from the farming community, the latter could enjoy more income.
In addition, the FPOs would be allowed to utilise the storage facility at the cluster campus on nominal rent and sell them to the firm at a time when the produces could fetch a better price, Mr. Ramachandran added.
Apart from paddy, the FPOs would also be encouraged to take up cultivation of vegetables and fruits depending upon the type of soil in their respective areas since the cultivation of onion, tomato, guava, grapes, cashew nut, and pomegranate were already in vogue in the delta and nearby districts. Setting up the cluster at Gandharvakottai would also help minimise wastage of agriculture and horticulture produce at various stages from production to marketing, he added.