Karnataka Establishes Government Raisin Processing and Cold Storage Facility at Vijayapura

Key facts

• Karnataka has set up a raisin processing and cold storage unit at Thoravi village in Vijayapura, established by the Karnataka Grape and Wine Board and funded by NABARD and the State government under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, with access for farmers from November.
• The unit has a total capacity of 10,000 tonnes and can process four tonnes of raisins per hour, with raisins packed in 15-kg bags after processing.
• The unit will help grape farmers in Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Belagavi districts avoid transporting produce to Sangli or Pune in Maharashtra or paying higher charges at private processing units.
• Karnataka produces nearly 1.5 to 2 lakh tonnes of raisins annually, and of the State's 47,177 hectares under grape cultivation, 42,000 hectares are in Vijayapura, Belagavi and Bagalkot.
• Around 90% of raisin storage units in Vijayapura district are private, charging ₹700 to ₹800 per tonne per month, and the government facility plans to charge ₹50 to ₹100 less.
• The unit has a 250kW rooftop solar installation as backup for power disruptions, with plans to expand solar capacity to 500kW, and the board plans to add a residue-testing lab, e-auction unit and export unit.