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Gujarat govt’s irradiation plant in Ahmedabad approved by US inspection agency

Gujarat govt's irradiation plant in Ahmedabad approved by US inspection agency

Gujarat government’s irradiation plant in Ahmedabad was approved by a US inspection agency.

Gujarat government’s irradiation plant in Ahmedabad was approved by a US inspection agency. This will allow horticultural crops to be radiated and stimulate exports.

The United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has approved Gujarat Agro Radiation Processing Facility (GARPF), which was established near Ahmedabad by Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC).

The USDA-APHIS team performed an audit of GARPF, which was supported by the National Facility Protection Organization (NPPO), after which the USDA-APHIS awarded permission to the plant in Bavla, Ahmedabad, on July 2, 2022. The facility has a total size of 6,750 square meters and a capacity of 6 MT/Hr for irradiating mangoes.

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The facility was the first in Gujarat to receive USDA-APHIS clearance for mango and pomegranate exports.

The irradiation procedure

Mangoes must be irradiated before being exported to the United States, according to regulations. The irradiation procedure is overseen by quarantine inspectors from the United States. ‘Mangoes will be shipped directly from Gujarat following this authorization,’ according to a statement.

In 2014, GAIC established a 1,000-kilocurie (kCi) multifunctional split type, palletized radiation processing plant for agricultural and processed food items in Bavla under the Rashtriya Krushi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) at a cost of around 20 crores.

The facility, which was built with the guidance and technical assistance of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), is the only one in India that can irradiate products such as onion, potato, cereals, pulses, Psyllium husk, pet food, meat, spices, dehydrated onions/dry vegetables, meat products including poultry, eggs, and medical products at low, medium, and high doses.

According to DK Parekh, Managing Director of GAIC, the government of India has designated Kutch as a mango cluster under the Cluster Development Scheme. This facility will go a long way toward supporting Gujarat’s mango exports.

In 2019-20, Maharashtra shipped around 980 tonnes of irradiated mangoes to the United States, with estimates indicating that 50-60% of mangoes came from Gujarat due to the lack of a USDA-APHIS authorized irradiation plant in the state.

facilitating fruit transportation

The new facility, which is closer to the future Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), would facilitate the delivery of fruits to the hinterland and direct exports from Gujarat.

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Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd owns three essential infrastructure facilities (needed for mango export) in one district: Integrated Pack House, Gamma Irradiation Facility, and Perishable Air Cargo Complex.

Following USDA-APHIS certification, the irradiation plant may use the state’s existing infrastructure to establish a synergy between mango quality, waste reduction, and transportation costs.

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