5 days ago
Revival efforts for Ranchi bacon factory gains momentum
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Ranchi: A two-member team from the National Meat Research Institute (NMRI), Hyderabad, inspected the long-defunct govt-owned bacon factory at Kanke in Ranchi on Friday and expressed optimism about restarting it.
Ranchi's bacon factory, once hailed as Asia's leading facility for producing pork items under the 'Ranbac' brand, has remained shut for the past 28 years. Established in 1966, the factory ceased operations in the mid 1990s. Despite several attempts to revive it over the years, the lack of suitable partners with the required technical expertise stalled progress.
NMRI experts M. Muthu Kumar and Dr Yogesh P. Godkar found the slaughter section to be 70 – 80% operational, raising hopes for an early restart.
The team indicated that with minor repairs and upgrades, the facility could resume operations soon and even function as a training and processing hub.
The state minister for agriculture, animal husbandry, and cooperatives, Shilpi Neha Tirkey, said, "This factory has the potential to support rural livelihoods and provide hands-on training in meat processing. Reviving it is not just about reopening a facility but about building a self-reliant model for our farmers and youth.
We are committed to transforming this space into a productive and sustainable unit. With NMRI's technical expertise and our local workforce, this can become a landmark project in Jharkhand's animal husbandry sector.
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An MoU is expected to be signed soon between the state govt and the NMRI, under which the institute would provide technical assistance and conduct training for local farmers and workers. Plans also include setting up skill development modules that could train nearly 100 individuals in hygienic meat processing practices. The NMRI team would submit a detailed report on the revival within a week.
