The Krishnapatnam Port region is slowly becoming a hub for edible oil refineries with eight firms setting up refineries at Pantapalem in Muthukur mandal, close to the port. Half a dozen more units have expressed interest to follow suit near the port.

The Krishnapatnam Port region is slowly becoming a hub for edible oil refineries with eight firms setting up refineries at Pantapalem in Muthukur mandal, close to the port. Half a dozen more units have expressed interest to follow suit near the port.

The port has laid a pipeline to the area where the units are located, to unload crude palm oil directly from the ships. Proximity of the port to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and availability of land in the area has been attracting industrialists to set up their units in the region.

According to general manager of industries, M. Murali Mohan, Gemini Edible Oils, Saraiwala Industries Pvt Ltd, Krishnapatnam Oil and Fats Pvt Ltd, Emami Biotech Pvt Ltd and South India Fats and Oils Pvt Ltd have started operations among eight units established already at Pantapalem.

The other three units are expected to start operations this year.

Chief executive officer of Krishnapatnam Port Anil Yendluri told this newspaper that half-a-dozen more industrialists have visited the port in the recent past and expressed interest to set up refineries in the Krishnapatnam region.

He said that they had created necessary infrastructure at the port for unloading ships carrying edible oils without any waiting time.

In addition, assistance was also being extended to industries to set up their units in the region, he added.

President of the AP Edible Oil Dealers Welfare Association Sannapa-reddy Penchal Reddy said that both traders and consumers are benefited because of the refineries coming up near Krishnapatnam port which is close to Nellore town.

“Since the units are nearby, there is no need for us to maintain storage points unlike in the past when we were procuring edible oils from Kakinada port. We used to spend at least Rs 2 per kg of oil for transportation from Kakinada and this was passed on to the consumer. Irrespective of price variations in the market, consumers have been paying Rs 2 less per kg after we started lifting stocks from refineries located close to Krishnapatnam port,” Mr Penchal Reddy told this newspaper.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Region> Nellore / by DC Correspondent, Nellore / January 12th, 2012