Badal to urge Centre to allow Nafed buy maize from Punjab

Nafed chief says will start buying soon after Centre's nod

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will urge the Centre to add maize to the crop procurement list of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), so that the cooperative can procure maize from the state.

A decision to this effect was taken by Badal during a meeting with a high-level team of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India. The team was led by National Cooperative Union of India Chairman Chandra Pal Singh and Nafed Chairman V R Patel.

The chief minister said the state government had identified maize, cotton, oilseeds, pulses and agro-forestry as alternative crops to break the rotation of wheat and paddy, making agriculture not only more sustainable but also environment friendly. He asked Nafed to provide a proper marketing solution, especially for maize and oilseeds.

Patel agreed to initiate maize procurement from Punjab immediately, after getting the permission from the Centre.