Punjab Horticulture Minister Mr. Mohinder Bhagat chaired a high-level meeting with officials to discuss strategies aimed at boosting the export of fruits and vegetables from the state, expanding the area under horticulture, and increasing farmers’ income.
The meeting was held at Punjab Kheti Bhawan, Mohali on Tuesday.
Present in the meeting were Secretary Horticulture Mr. Muhammad Tayyab, Director Horticulture Mrs. Shailender Kaur, along with officials from the Airport Authority of India, Punjab Markfed, and Punjab Agri Export Corporation.
Mr. Bhagat stated that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is working vigorously to promote horticulture and uplift the economic condition of farmers. As part of this mission, a pilot project will be launched under which fruit plants will be planted
on 5 acres of each panchayat land in 10 selected villages across the state. He added that the income generated from these panchayat lands will be utilized by the respective village panchayats for local development purposes.
The Minister directed the concerned officials to initiate the implementation process at the earliest.
Highlighting the export potential, Mr. Bhagat emphasized that fruits like kinnow, mango, and litchi, as well as vegetables like brinjal and okra from Punjab, are in high demand overseas.
During the meeting, discussions were held to explore the necessary steps for facilitating the export of horticultural crops through Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar.
On this occasion, Station Head of the Airport Authority, Mr. Azad Singh, assured full support for the initiative.
Mr. Bhagat further mentioned that Punjab holds vast potential in the processed horticulture sector as well. By tapping into international markets, not only can farmers' income be increased, but new employment opportunities can also be created. He stated that Punjab’s geographical conditions and climate are highly suitable for horticulture, especially for crops that are in high demand in Europe and other international markets.
Others present in the meeting included Chief Manager, Punjab Markfed, Jaswinder Singh; CEO, Punjab Agri Export Corporation Ltd., Ranbir Singh, Superintending Engineer, Panchayati Raj Sandeep Sidhar, Deputy Director Horticulture Gurmail Singh and Dalveer Singh.