Markfed food processing unit to be set up in Ludhiana

To strengthen the cooperative movement in Punjab and give a boost to state-owned Markfed, the Punjab government has decided to install a state-of-the-art food-processing unit at about Rs 20 crore in Ludhiana.

"Although the functioning of Markfed has improved during the previous financial year, its profit still has not crossed the figure of Rs 1 crore. Last year it was only Rs 82.50 lakh. The state government has sanctioned an ultra modern food processing unit in Ludhiana to improve it," said Kanwaljit Singh, minister for cooperatives.

He added that it would have a processing unit, a food unit and a freezing unit and the project would definitely boost the efforts of crop diversification by the state government.

Markfed has invited expressions of interest from various consultants for conducting detailed market research on the market potential of various fruit and vegetable products in raw, frozen, semi processed and processed forms for sale in domestic and overseas markets and for conducting a feasibility study for setting up of the processing unit at Dhandari Kalan, the minister said.

He said there would be a processing unit, a food unit and a freezing unit and the project would definitely boost the efforts of crop diversification by the state government.

Apart from installing the food processing unit at Ludhiana, it has been decided to strengthen the marketing strategy of Markfed.

Officials of the department have already been instructed to evolve an aggressive marketing strategy and explore the potential of exporting the products to central Asia and West Asia by road or air.