Anantapur: Food processing minister T.G. Bharath announced that the Integrated Tomato Processing Unit at Kothiralla village in Pathikonda mandal, Kurnool district, will be completed within six months and commence production. The Rs 11 crore unit aims to ensure better prices for tomato farmers, especially during peak production, by processing tomatoes into ketchup.
The minister performed bhoomi pooja for the unit on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, he stated that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had initiated the project in response to representations from the local MLA and MP.
“We are committed to completing the unit within six months, with an estimated cost of Rs 11 crore,” Bharath said. He added that the facility will have a peak-season processing capacity of 10–15 metric tonnes for tomato pulp, along with a dehydration unit handling up to 5 tonnes. The unit will also process mangoes and guavas when tomatoes are not in season.
