The delicious homemade arisha pitha will now be available outside the state too. Telegraph picture Bibhuti Barik

Bhubaneswar, May 3: Typical Oriya delicacy Arisha pitha would now be available to people outside the state, fresh and ready to eat. A scientific packaging skill imparted by the Indian Institute of Packaging, Calcutta, has made this possible.

Women entrepreneurs, small-time food product processors, ayurveda drug developers, large-scale manufacturers and packaging specialists are now banking the ideas of the institute to take Oriya flavour to homes outside the state.

Sugayatri Mohapatra, a small entrepreneur from Cuttack, manufactures powdered masala but packaging had been her weakness. However, things changed for her in 2009 when she learnt smart packaging techniques.

“Now, I can pack things like Arisha pitha and namkin. I am confident of earning much more from my business,” said Mohapatra. Manoj Patel, an ayurvedic doctor from Sambalpur district, who owns a herbal medicine manufacturing unit, now hopes that his products will look good and Oriyas outside the state would get herbal products in attractive packages. Both Mohapatra and Patel were participants at a workshop on packaging of processed food for cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) organised by the Indian Institute of Packaging here today.

Pranati Jena, another entrepreneur from Cuttack, said how she started with Arisha pitha but later turned to producing noodles. Now, she produces 60 quintals of her product every month. “After my exposure at today’s event I will try to package and market Arisha pitha again,” she added. K.L. Rao, director, MSME Development Institute, Cuttack, said: “Only from rice entrepreneurs can produce 29 items and for that they can take help from the Cuttack-based Central Rice Research Institute. Even the expertise of the Mysore-based Central Food Technology Research Institute can be taken through the MSME Development Institute for the benefits of the local entrepreneurs of the twin cities.”

Bishnu Prasad Panda, team leader-cum-cluster development manager, Access Development Services (ADS), Berhampur said: “Not only the food products from the state, but dry fruits like cashew can also be packaged nicely and for that Orissa has become the first state to launch a certificate course in cashew production and processing. The course is jointly developed by Industrial Training Institute, Berhampur, and ADS.

Arbind Sahoo, successful entrepreneur from Cuttack and director with Om Oil and Flour Mills of Ruchi fame, said the packaging industry in the state would be more than Rs 200 crore per annum but with the plan to develop a spice cluster in Cuttack and a food park near Khurda the potential of the industry would definitely go up.