Agri processing company Usher Agro Ltd (UAL) is planning to expand paddy milling capacity at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, from the existing 2,00,000 tonnes to 5,00,000 tonnes at an investment of Rs 80 crore. The plant also has wheat grinding capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum.
On completing this project as estimated by July-August 2010, the facility will be the second largest paddy processing unit, surpassing half a million tonnes in a single location. UAL is planning to fund the project with a combination of debt and internal accruals in the proportion of 3:1.
The company commenced commercial production of the second line of its rice mill last month, taking the overall capacity of this plant to 2,00,000 tonnes. In February, it had started commercial production for the first line.
Justifying the need for such facility, a V K Chaturvedi, managing director, said: “The new machines would concentrate fully on the 1131 variety of Pusa basmati rice, which fetches a high price in the global markets.” The Mathura belt in Uttar Pradesh is a major centre for growing this variety.
