Punjab CM lays foundation stone for vegetable processing unit in Samrala

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday laid the foundation stone of a vegetable processing unit here.

The Rs 521-crore vegetable processing plant is being jointly set up by IFFCO and Spain's CN Corp.

The vegatable processing unit wouldpropel industrial growth and catalyse employment generation in the state, Amarinder said on the occasion.

Talking about the state government'snew industrial policy, he said the revival of Mandi Gobindgarh industrial belt has seen 600 existing units restore operations, while 40 new units have also invested in the region.

The Punjab government has so far inked 299 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) worth Rs 51,969 crore with several companies, he said.

 

About 650 new projects worth Rs 46,902 crore with a proposed employment of 167,309 have come up during his government's tenure, Amarinder said.

The vegetable processing unit in Samrala is being set up on 52 acre of land and will have a processing capacity of 80,000 metric tonne per annum, with the eventual investment expected to touch Rs 1,000 core.

The project, which will create 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, will also help boost farm income as it will procure 15,000 metric tonne of raw vegetables directly from local farmers within a radius of 150 kilometer, he said.

The project will have facilities to process a wide range of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, corn, among others. It will also process potatoes to manufacture French Fries and other snacks.

The project is likely to start commercial operations in 2020.

It will bring Spanish know-how of agri-sector to India and will boost overall infrastructure within the agro-economic ecosystem, the chief minister said.

The company will train farmers on new and modern farming techniques and will work closely with them to provide them information about using new techniques, seeds, pesticides, balance fertilisation and crop rotation, leading to increase in farm productivity and quality of agri-produce, he said.

Given the precarious water situation in the state, the need for water conservation is high, necessitating introduction of crops that consume less water but yield higher remuneration for farmers, he said.