Cattle semen bank to come up in Punjab: Sukhbir

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that a semen bank will be set up in Nabha city in Patiala district with an aim to improve the cattle breed.
"Punjab is coming with a world class semen bank at Nabha at a cost of Rs 130 crore and land for this purpose has already been earmarked," Badal said here at the on going agriculture summit.
Deputy CM said that the export of fruits and vegetables from Punjab was one of the top priorities of the state government and that it would work to increase export of Kinnow fruit as well as frozen vegetables.

He said simultaneously farmers would be encouraged to go in for innovate agri practices including direct seeding of paddy to save water as well as initiatives in the animal husbandry sector which were aimed at increasing the milk yield of small farmers.
Badal further said the state was ready to partner with institutions to enable Punjab farmers to upgrade their technology skills.
Answering a query regarding food processing, Badal said Punjab was focusing on food processing and that the new investment policy had already resulted in companies like ITC and Cargill deciding to establish processing facilities in Punjab.

He said ITC is setting up Rs 800 crore food park near Kapurthala, which will cater the food processing requirements of north while Cargill will establish one of the biggest maize based Cattle Feed Plant at Bathinda.

Speaking on this occasion, Bharti Group Vice Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal sought changes in the agricultural policy to allow farmers to sell their fruits and vegetables to private players directly.
PepsiCo Executive Director Vivek Bharti said agri processing was set to get a boost with the Punjab government providing the right atmosphere for establishment of processing units.
He urged private players to set up shops in Punjab, saying his company was procuring 70,000 tonne of potato annually.