Chennai, Aug 23 (KNN)  Considering that one fourth of the country's mango pulp is produced in the districts of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, there is an urgent need for the setting up of food processing and cold storage facilities to meet the increasing demand for mango pulp.
 
“To cope with the increasingly abundant cultivation of mangoes and production of large quantities of mango pulp, I urge the Union Government to set up proper cold storage facilities, establish adequate food processing industries and also set up an Agricultural Export Zone in Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu at the earliest,” said Tamil Nadu MP from Krishnagiri, E G Sugavanam in parliament yesterday.
 
The large varieties of mangoes cultivated there are exported across the country and abroad, fetching huge foreign exchange to the government.
 
“Considering the high potential in this region, the National Horticultural Mission has identified and declared Krishnagiri district as a region for promoting mango cultivation,” he added.
 
Mango cultivation occupies a prominent place in Krishnagiri District, cultivated over an area of nearly 40,000 hectares of land.  The annual production of the production is around 4 lakh tons.
 
Owing to the abundance of mango grown there, mango pulp is produced in large quantities.  In fact, the mango pulp industry in Krishnagiri District is the second largest exporter of pulp in the country generating revenue of about Rs 500 crore in foreign exchange annually.  
 
The district is home to a large number of mango processing units, the annual pulp production level being about 1 lakh tons.
 
Significantly, out of the total mango pulp produced in India, 1/4 is contributed by both Krishnagiri and the neighbouring Dharmapuri districts. (KNN/ES)