Sikkim IFFCO Organics (SIFCO), a joint venture between the Sikkim government and the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) has started its construction work of integrated food processing units at Rangpo.
The construction work of the plants will be completed by October 2021 and production will commence with processing organic ginger, turmeric, large cardamom and buckwheat. These crops are the major produce of Sikkim state with a huge export potential.
The two integrated food processing units are being set up with a total construction cost of around Rs 50 crore.
Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Singh Tamang, had laid the foundation stone for these plants in 2019.
The project will not only give a boost to organic farming in the state but also to organic farmers elsewhere in the North-Eastern states. The global pandemic had delayed the project by a few months.
SIFCO will soon start trading fresh ginger through its agencies in Germany, Italy and other European countries. The entire range of SIFCO products will be 100 percent organic certified. This will promote sustainable agriculture and promote Green Himalayan Economy.
SIFCO will market the produce to different markets of the country and the world. In this regard two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have already been signed; one with Blossoms Biodynamics, US, for utilising their marketing and distribution in the North American markets and the other with Centar Dr Rudolfa Steinera, Croatia, for marketing its products in Croatia and the EU.