Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday rolled out the red carpet for British investment in organic farming, packhouses, cold chains and dairy technology and to take homegrown brands like Verka and Five Rivers to the UK market.
Khudian, along with Principal Secretary (Food Processing) Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, held deliberations here with a British delegation comprising Deputy High Commissioner Alba Smeriglio, First Secretary Trade (British High Commission) Dr Nicholas Gribit and Senior Trade Adviser Anup Narayan to deepen bilateral cooperation in organic farming, dairy, crop residue management and quality certification in other sectors.
Welcoming the delegation, Minister Khudian said the welfare of farmers will remain the cornerstone of any international partnership and assured full support from the state government for collaborations.
Underlining Punjab's pivotal role as India's food basket- spanning wheat, basmati rice, kinnow, peers, litchi, milk and dairy products, seed potatoes and carrots- he said the state offers a thriving food processing ecosystem.
“Punjab brings a strong agricultural base, established processing capabilities, recognised brands and a growing pool of innovative enterprises. Punjab ranked first in kinnow, carrot and disease-free seed potato production, second in pears and third in peas and honey, while topping the country in per capita milk availability at 1.28 litres per day.
“We see scope to connect these strengths with UK market demand, technology, investment and expertise, creating value for businesses while strengthening opportunities for farmers and food-processing enterprises, ” the minister said.
Outlining investment opportunities, Khudian highlighted technology transfer and brand collaboration, citing state-backed brands as win-win models where Punjab's processing strengths can leverage UK technology and market access.
The minister invited UK collaboration for shared infrastructure including pack-houses and pre-cooling facilities, cold-chain connectivity, technology transfer for modern processing equipment and product innovation in value-added uses of kinnow peels and by-products.