New Delhi, Apr 26 (IANS): Himalya International Thursday said production had started at its new Rs.160-crore food processing plant at Sultanpur in Mehsana, Gujarat.

"The company has set up an export target of around Rs.600 crore annually from international market and has orders from the US, Singapore, Dubai and Malayasia," said Man Mohan Malik, chairman, Himalya International. He said the company would launch its products in all major cities of India given the growing demand for them.

The plant, inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is on 21 hectares of land and has facility for growing mushrooms, processing potatoes and other vegetables and processing of milk to produce mozzarella cheese sticks, 'paneer' and frozen yoghurt.

Malik said the installed capacity of the mushroom division was 60,000 tonnes of compost per annum which would produce 12,000 tonnes of mushrooms per annum with a yield of 20 percent at 100 percent operating capacity.

The plant will also produce 6,000 tonnes of mozzarella cheese, 9,000 tonnes of yoghurt, 27,000 tonnes of appetizers and 27,000 tonnes of french fries per annum. It has a storage facility for 2,000 tonnes of frozen products.

Malik said the plant would provide direct employment to 1,500 people and indirect employment to around 5,000 residents of the area.