IFFCO’s Organic Joint Venture (JV), SIFCO (Sikkim IFFCO Organics Ltd.) has begun construction work on integrated food processing units (FPUs) at Rangpo, Sikkim. The construction work will be finished by October 2021 and after that it will begin production operations. The two integrated food processing units (FPUs) are being established with a total building cost of approx. Rs 50 crore.
A year ago, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Singh Tamang, laid the foundation stone for these plants in attendance of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. This initiative will not only uplift the organic farming in Sikkim but also improve the conditions of organic farmers elsewhere in the North-Eastern States. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic, project is running behind its original schedule by few months. Soon, SIFCO will start trading fresh ginger via its agencies in Germany, Italy and other EU countries. The entire array of SIFCO products will be fully organic certified and therefore non-toxic in nature. This will encourage sustainable agriculture and augment Green Himalayan Economy.
The construction work begun with a formal traditional Bhumi Pujan which was arranged at the construction site in Rangpo. Along with the officials and representatives of IFFCO, state of Sikkim and Sikkim IFFCO Organics Limited, others who attended the ritual include- L B Dass, Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly; Agriculture Minister, Sikkim, Lok Nath Sharma and Manish Gupta, managing director, Sikkim IFFCO Organics, and some other senior officials.
These plants will be a great advancing step in multiplying farmers’ income by twice. This is because the produce will be directly obtained from the farmers, which is in accordance with the vision of PM Narendra Modi by 2022.
Sikkim is already identified as a 100% organic state. The aim of the JV is to offer a safer food supply chain to the Indian as well as global consumers. The JV will initially process buckwheat, ginger, large cardamom, and turmeric. These crops are the primary produce of Sikkim state with huge export ability. SIFCO will trade these produce to various markets within and outside the country. Considering this issue, two MoUs have already been signed; 1st is with Blossoms Biodynamics, USA, for utilizing their advertizing and distribution in the North American markets and 2nd with Centar Dr Rudolfa Steinera, Croatia, for marketing and supplying its products in Croatia and the European Union.