Patanjali’s fruit processing plant in Mihan, Nagpur is set to undergo a major expansion, which will significantly increase its capacity for processing a wide range of fruits and vegetables. The plant will now be able to handle over 100 varieties of fruits, including tropical and temperate fruits like amla, mango, guava, papaya, apple, pomegranate, and more. The expansion aims to enhance the value of lower-grade produce, ensuring better financial returns for farmers by converting surplus or unsellable crops into high-quality processed products.
The facility will extract citrus essence and aroma, and will also convert seeds and fiber into essential oils using supercritical fluid extraction. The plant will also produce cold-pressed orange peel oil, which sells for a premium price of Rs 1,600 per liter. The second phase will introduce a pectin production unit, and will also feature Swiss technologies to enhance juice quality. The plant will be fully equipped for comprehensive fruit processing, with state-of-the-art machine extractors and juice taste evaporators.
To address the challenge of skilled worker shortages, Patanjali has initiated training programs to develop a workforce capable of managing advanced fruit processing technologies. Operations for the second phase are expected to begin within six to seven months, once fruit availability stabilizes. The expansion is expected to support orange farmers, with the facility processing lower-grade oranges, which currently fail to fetch good prices, into premium products like juice concentrates, pulp, puree, and orange burfi. The plant is set to cater to both domestic and export markets, with the goal of increasing its capacity to meet growing demand for processed fruit products.