Fruit and Vegetable Processing Unit
The fruit processing lab of this station is equipped with various types of processing machines such as roaster, fruit mill, driers, jack cutter, pulper, freezer, band sealer, sip up package, automatic liquid filling machine, vegetable washers etc. Eighty percent of the raw materials produced at the station is processed at this processing lab. Value addition is mainly concentrated on making diverse products from jackfruit and banana. In addition to that unique products are made from fruit crops like mango, passion fruit, sapota, rose apple, pineapple, guava, coconut and spices such as pepper, ginger and turmeric as well as coffee. Exotic fruits such as mangosteen, rambootan, avocado, and litchi are also processed here. Products include jam, squash, pickles, halwa, chutney powder, dry jack, dried jack powder, toffees, chips and dehydrated products such as chilly kondattam, vaduka, dried tapioca. Powdered form of spices (ginger and turmeric) are also available. The products are sold through the Information Cum Sales center of the station as well as various sales outlets of Kerala Agricultural University.
The products are produced under strict hygenic environment. The main objective of the processing lab is to produce good and safe to eat food products with no artificial ingredients or additives. The processing and packaging activities are carried out by skill trianed SHG group members who are breadwinners of their families. Of the total sales output, 35 per cent is paid as remuneration to them.
