Bavla : USDA-APHIS approves irradiation facility set up at Bavla. Gujarat government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s guidance and leadership, succeeds in adding one more feather to its cap by getting USDA-APHIS approval of its Gujarat Agro Radiation Processing Facility (GARPF) in Bavla, Dist. Ahmedabad. This will give big boost to export of Mangoes from Gujarat to USA. USDA-APHIS team facilitated by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) conducted audit of GARPF. After the audit, USDA-APHIS has approved the plant at Bavla on 02/07/2022. This is the first plant in Gujarat to get the USDA-APHIS approval for the export of Mangoes & Pomegranates. As per the norms, irradiation of mangoes is mandatory before exporting them to the USA. The irradiation process is conducted under the supervision of quarantine inspectors from the US. Mangoes will be exported directly from Gujarat after this approval. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC) a state government enterprise has set up a 1,000 Kilo-Curie(kCi) Multipurpose: split type, palletized radiation processing facility for agricultural and processed food products at Bavla in Ahmedabad district under Rashtriya Krushi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) at an approx. cost of Rs. 20 Crores in 2014. The facility was implemented under the guidance and technical support of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT). This is the only facility in India which can irradiate products like 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 dose as per the requirement.
D. K. Parekh, IAS, Managing Director, Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. was present during the audit. He spoke about the importance of the facility to the audit team. He added that Government of India has declared Kutch as a Mango Cluster under the Cluster Development Scheme and thus this facility will go a long way to support the exports of mangoes from Gujarat. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. is the owner of three key Infrastructure facilities (required for export of Mangoes) like Integrated Pack House, Gamma Irradiation Facility and Perishable Air Cargo Complex in one district. After USDA-APHIS approval of the facility, the irradiation facility can leverage the existing infrastructure of the State and synergy can be achieved which eventually maintains quality of mangoes, reduce wastage & cost of transportation.
