Belgium princess lays stone for Rs 750 cr unit in Bijnor

Belgium Princess Astrid laid the foundation stone of the second unit of Agristo Masa Private Limited in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor on Sunday.

Advertisement

The unit is coming up near Mahmoodpur in Chandpur tehsil of Bijnor. The authorities had made elaborate security arrangements for the event. The princess was accompanied by diplomats and 55 Belgian delegates. Agristo Masa began operations in the district in 2022, producing goods for both domestic use and export. The company is investing approximately Rs 750 crore to establish a frozen french fries production unit in Bijnor, which is its part of expanding the Indian footprint.

Around 2,500 farmers are expected to benefit from this expansion. This is in addition to the 500 farmers in the region who have been provided with sustainable livelihood opportunities through the plant's interventions.

The productivity of potatoes has gone up from 17 tonnes per hectare to 32 tonnes per hectare, and the Bijnor plant caters to both domestic and export markets, with North America, the Middle East, South East Asia and Japan being the key destinations overseas.

To ensure the holistic development of farmers and the overall development of the region's agricultural landscape, Agristo Masa has hired agronomists from Belgium and the Netherlands. The firm is also assisting farmers in this region in farm mechanisation.