Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology
India: Ludhiana to get its own food processing unit
Badal was in the city for the national seminar on 'augmenting processing and shelf-life of perishable food products'. After the setting up of food processing unit at the PAU, all kinds of crops and vegetables will be processed here in Ludhiana that will reduce food wastage. The PAU has also been given land to set up a second food processing unit in Bathinda as well.
"My aim is that we come up with such a scheme where a farmer and his family, especially youths, would be involved in all stages, right from sowing to processing to marketing of a particular product. And here, we are already working on it so that our farmers can become self-reliant," said the union minister.
"Now, the PAU has given land for the setting up of Bathinda and Ludhiana centres. Once they start functioning, Punjab would benefit in a big way as all kinds of crops would be processed here," she added.
The idea of setting up a food processing unit was taken from Maharashtra. Badal shared that during her visit to Maharashtra she noticed that several farmers have collectively set up a separate food processing unit at the same place they do farming. The best production is sold to the consumers and B grade products are used for food processing, thus they have managed to reduce food wastage.
Further, while addressing to the PAU vice-chancellor Baldev Singh Dhillon, Badal urged him to put an emphasis on organic farming and processing fruits and vegetable into non-alcoholic wines.
Source: indiatimes.com
