Chandigarh, February 18:
Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat on Wednesday said that Punjab is set to witness a major positive change in the horticulture sector with a proposed investment of about Rs 1,300 crore, which will help increase farmers’ income and create new opportunities in value addition and exports.
Addressing a press conference here, the Minister shared the outcomes of his recent visit to Sahyadri Farmers Producer Company Limited in Nashik, Maharashtra. He said Punjab will adopt successful practices from the Maharashtra horticulture model so that farmers in the state can earn better profits through organised farming, processing and better market linkages. An MoU was also signed with Sahyadri to strengthen Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Punjab through training and institutional support.
Bhagat said the visit was very useful as the delegation studied how farmers can work together through FPOs to improve production, grading, packaging, processing and exports. He informed that Sahyadri is working with thousands of farmers over more than 30,000 acres and exports fruits and vegetables to 42 countries, which shows how collective efforts can bring prosperity to farmers.
The Minister said the delegation visited modern packhouses, processing units, research farms and training centres, where they interacted directly with farmers and experts. He said Punjab farmers can benefit from scientific crop planning, better quality control and strong market connections, which were key features of the model studied during the visit.
Talking about the MoU, the Minister said it will help in forming strong farmer groups in Punjab, providing training, technology support and guidance so that farmers can benefit from working collectively and get better prices for their produce.
Bhagat reiterated that the Punjab Government is fully committed to promoting crop diversification towards horticulture, increasing value addition and creating sustainable income opportunities for farmers, adding that Punjab has the potential to emerge as a leading horticulture hub in the country.
On this occasion, Commissioner Agriculture Babita Kaler, Director Horticulture Shailender Kaur, Deputy Director Horticulture Harpreet Singh Sethi, Assistant Director Horticulture Rupinder Kaur, Assistant Director Horticulture Balwinderjit Kaur and other senior officers were present.
