Baroda Dairy to make tomato ketchup

Baroda Dairy, run by Baroda District Milk Co-operative Union Ltd, is all set to venture into manufacturing of tomato ketchup.

The dairy has decided take up a green field project for setting up tomato ketchup manufacturing facility in Central Gujarat. The dairy also plans to market the product at a later stage however things are at a very nascent stage at the moment.

Baroda dairy is currently giving final touches to the project report. According to top officials of the dairy, the proposed plant will come up at Bodeli area in Central Gujarat.

Around Rs 7 to 8 crore would be required to set up the new unit, for which the dairy has already acquired land in that area.

 

Among all the dairies operating in Gujarat, Baroda dairy is the first to foray into tomato ketchup manufacturing.

"Bodeli is an ideal location for such plant as its surrounding areas such as Chhota Udepur, Pavijetpur and Sankeda grow tomatoes on large scale. The tomatoes will be procured from these areas," said dairy officials.

The proposed plant will produced ketchup both in bottle and pouches.

"The blue print of the project is at present being prepared and then it will be tabled for approval in the board meeting," sources added.

Apart from this, Baroda dairy will soon start manufacturing bottled mineral water. Water from river Narmada will be used for manufacturing mineral water, which will be marketed in bottles and pouches. A 12 kms-long pipe line has been set up to lift water from Narmada.

The dairy has already got 90 per cent subsidy from Central government for the project. "The machineries is scheduled to be installed in next seven to 10 days. The plant will be operational within two to two and a half months", dairy officials informed.

The dairy has spent Rs 1.25 crore to set up the project, which also includes a new building in its campus. Initially, the mineral water will be marketed in Gujarat.