Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce, Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC), a state-run company, will supply 600 tonnes of quality apple juice concentrate worth Rs 6 crore to the Parle group of industries.
"This juice concentrate supply order will mark the revival of the HPMC which has been running into losses for the last five years," said Narinder Bragta, the Himachal Pradesh horticulture minister.
"We are working on a series of measures to help HPMC become a profit-making company once again," Bragta told Business Standard.
"The HPMC's management has also decided to open three juice concentrate extraction plants at Rohru, Gumma and Jarol. These are located in the apple belt in the Shimla district. This will also help the company save on transportation costs and fresh fruit will be processed at these centres," he said.
"It has also been decided that the regional office in Shimla will be shifted to Gumma for better coordination in the apple belt," he said.
Bragta, who is also HPMC's chairman said that in 2003, the company was making a profit of Rs two crore. But in the last five years, the accumulated losses had mounted to Rs 37 crore. The turnover had also dropped to Rs 22 crore," he said.
A couple of years ago, the Union Commerce minister Jairam Ramesh had suggested selling a majority stake in Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce, Marketing and Processing Corporation to a private player so that the company could be revived and the HPMC brand name be used.
