A Rs 1.

36 crore fresh ginger processing unit will be set up in Ukrul district of Manipur with technical assistance from the regional research laboratory (RRL) here. The technology, developed by the RRL, a constituent of the council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR), would help in increasing ginger oil production by 30 per cent. RRL sources said here today that the technology for fresh ginger processing was transferred to the Manipur-based Rishang Keishing foundation for development of tribal areas (MATA), a nongovernmental organisation. The RRL had extended its expertise to set up the first industrial unit for processing ten tonnes of fresh ginger per day. The project, jointly financed by the department of science and industrial research (DSIR), the ministry of food processing industries and the MATA, was being implemented by the RRL on turnkey basis, which included design and fabrication of plant and machineries, erection, commissioning and training of operatingand quality control personnel. The project would be officially launched by CSIR director general RA Mashelkar in the presence of former Manipur chief minister and MATA chairman Rishang Keishing at a function here tomorrow. It would be commissioned by November this year, synchronising with the ginger harvesting season. The sources said under the second and third phases of the project, facilities would be set up for processing fresh turmeric for curcumin, high pungent chilli and capsaicin. An integrated spices processing complex of this kind would lead to substantial value addition of the local crops and quality employment generation in the region. Replication of such technology demonstration units in other north eastern states with appropriate combination of the local produce would catalyse unprecedented economic growth of the northeastern region which in turn, would address some of the socio-political problems of the region as well, the sources added. A team of scientists of the RRL here has beenworking on the processing of fresh spices like pepper, ginger, turmeric and chilli for fresh flavoured essential oil and oils of high commercial potential. By conventional process, ginger oil was extracted from dry ginger. While drying, most of the low volatile aroma constituents that impart fresh flavour to ginger oil were lost. The process of drying also involved peeling of the skin followed by sun drying, which required manpower. By processing fresh ginger, 30 per cent more yield of ginger oil with all aroma constituents that impart fresh flavour could be obtained. Other advantages were labour and energy savings by 20 per cent. The sources said ginger, turmeric, high pungent chilli and large cardamom were the major cash crops of the north eastern region. India was the largest producer of ginger in the world with two lakh tonnes dry ginger and one-third of this was contributed by the north east.