Coca Cola to take Vid’s oranges worldwide: Minister Pote-Patil

Nagpur: Soft drink giant Coca Cola would be taking oranges from Vidarbha across the globe, according to minister of state for industries, mining and environment Pravin Pote-Patil. He said the company would procure oranges from farmers and use the pulp in various products, including beverages, to be made at their upcoming plant in Amravati.
The multinational is setting up two orange-processing plants — at Morshi in Amravati and at Butibori in Nagpur.“The company is setting up a plant in about 40 acres at Morshi. It had talks with farmers after which it agreed to procure oranges for its various products sold worldwide. In this way, the fruit produced here would go across the world,” Pote, also the guardian minister for Amravati district, told TOI.
In both plants, the company plans to manufacture its products using orange pulp. It would also promote NOGA (Nagpur Orange Grower Association) brand, a subsidiary of Maharashtra government, which is well known in Vidarbha region.
The Maharashtra government inked a tripartite pact with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, the largest bottling partner of the soft drink major, and Jain Irrigation Company, during its ‘Make in India’ event in Mumbai in February. It proposed setting up ‘Oranges Unnati Project’ on 100 acres on public-private partnership (PPP). The Butibori plant would manufacture juices, with a mixture of Vidarbha oranges and Marathwada’s sweet lime.
“A huge number of employment opportunities would be generated, once the plant starts functioning, in a couple of years. They have started its set up. Importantly, the oranges would be in demand and its growers would be ultimately benefited,” Pote said.
Sources close to his ministry said that the company would help farmers to cultivate and increase the yield with the help of new scientific techniques, including Ultra High Density Plantation. They said growers would also be provided classroom training and demonstrations using hi-tech audiovisual aids.
The sources said the oranges would see more demand once the soft drink giant starts using it in products. Every year, the growers face huge losses on account of poor demand for oranges, forcing many of them to switch to other crops. Orange could be used not only in beverages, but also for producing other products like jam, sauce and even wine, with bright prospects once it reaches worldwide, they said.