India’s largest pork processing plant finally declared open in Assam
Guwahati: After decades of planning and anticipation, India’s largest export-oriented pork processing plant has finally been declared open.
The multi-crore plant was inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Chanbosa under the Nazira subdivision of Sivasagar district on Tuesday.
The pork processing plant has been set up with the most modern technology in an eight-bigha plot with financial support from the central and state governments. The main objectives of the Rs 11.44-crore plant are to export pork primarily to South Asian countries, meet the growing demand for pork in the northeastern region, and generate financial returns for pig farmers of Assam.
“The main purpose of the pork processing plant is to export pork. Initially, it will run conservatively and later we will try to make it a good brand,” Sarma told the media after inaugurating the plant.
He said, “The plant will require 200 to 300 pigs a day. There are 60,000 pigs in Sivasagar district alone. Gradually we will arrange for captive pig farming by providing local people with good quality piglets. Then we will buy pigs from them at a minimum support price.”
The pork processing plant, which was inaugurated in the presence of Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and other guests, is expected to benefit around 16,000 families of Assam, besides providing direct employment for 100 people.
The pork packaged or processed at the plant will be exported to countries such as Myanmar, China, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Singapore. The plant is also part of the central government's efforts to promote its Act East Policy.
Meanwhile, All Assam Pig Farmers' Association (AAPFA) treasurer Padum Giri urged the Assam government to provide pig rearers of the state with loans of Rs 32,000 to Rs 36,000 with 50 per cent subsidy to help them go for commercial pig farming. He said that the government's current policy of giving a hefty loan of Rs 3 crore to a single pig farmer will only help 'capitalists' and not the members of the association. "Those rearing 100 to 150 pigs need subsidy-based loans of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Most of the pig farmers cannot risk taking Rs 3 crore loans. The government should look into this matter," Giri said.
The AAPFA has 17 district committees, with around 10,000 members who commercially rear pigs. Pig farmers of different ethnic communities of Assam also cooperate with the association in the conduct of the pork business.
As per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between JSB Processed Food Exports Private Limited and Assam Livestock and Poultry Corporation (ALPCo), the pork processing plant will function in public-private partnership (PPP) mode for ten years. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has sanctioned Rs 11.44 crore for the plant under the central government's Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES). The funding pattern for the project is based on the ratio of 80:20, with 80 per cent being the central share and 20 per cent state share.
The pork processing plant at Chanbosa had been in the pipeline for decades. It was started in the early 1990s when Hiteswar Saikia of Nazira was the Assam Chief Minister. Veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi was the Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for the Food Processing Industry at the time. A building was constructed and some machinery was put in place for the plant then, but the project could not be made operational because of administrative lethargy.
The Prafulla Mahanta government in Assam also failed to get the project going. However, the Sarbananda Sonowal-led state government sought to revive the pork processing plant.
Atul Bora has been taking a keen interest in making the plant operative since becoming the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister in both the Assam governments headed by Sarbananda Sonowal (2016--2021) and Himanta Biswa Sarma.