Agro-processing major Cargill India today said it will commence production of its Rs 70 crore cattle feed plant in Punjab within one year.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today laid the foundation stone of Cargill's green field cattle feed project here.
Speaking on this occasion, Cargill India Chairman Siraj Chaudhry said the plant would start production in a year, while praising the state government for giving fast approvals and clearances for the proposed project.
Badal said, "Cargill India's latest investment with this environment friendly plant will put the state on a global map with other leading model dairy regions the world over.
"This initiative will equip local farmers with latest knowhow and help in implementing a reliable supply chain for dairy processing."
Cargill India was one of the companies which promised to invest in the state during the Punjab Investors summit last year.
Terming the cattle feed unit a milestone in crop diversification plan, Badal said Cargill had been running its units in more than 37 countries across the globe and now the company had targeted Punjab as the next investment destination in the dairy sector.
The feed plant being set up on 8.5 acres, would provide training to more than 20,000 farmers annually on dairy farming, farm management and animal nutrition, he said.
He added that the feed unit would produce cattle feed about 1,20,000 tonnes annually and cater to the growing need for quality feed by dairy farmers of Punjab and neighbouring states.
"With the launching of Cargill unit in Punjab, its commitment for investment in Punjab will further give fillip to make state a 'Dairy Hub' in India," he said, adding that the state has already the highest milk availability of 944 grams per persons across the country.
The Deputy Chief Minister further said that food processing major ITC was all set to start its operations in Punjab and that he would lay the foundation stone of country's biggest food processing unit at Kapurthala at a cost of Rs 700 crore on February 28.
Badal also laid the foundation stone of multi-storey housing project worth Rs 450 crore at another function in the city.
