- विज्ञापन -
Rajpura: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab Agro Industries Corporation and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) are going to hold a joint discussion to increase tomato production and paste manufacturing in Punjab. During his visit to the Hindustan Unilever plant in Rajpura, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu stressed on collaboration between these stakeholders so that Punjab farmers can grow tomatoes of international standards and later produce tomato paste. For.
The HUL plant in Rajpura requires 11,423 metric tonnes of tomato paste annually for ketchup production, but currently only 50 metric tonnes of tomato paste is supplied from Punjab. Minister Singh proposed to involve PAU Ludhiana to develop hybrid tomato seeds as per international standards so that Punjab farmers can cultivate tomatoes.
“Today, companies are buying paste from all over India, while Punjab is supplying only 2% of the total requirement,” he said. If farmers are assured of a reasonable price, why can’t they grow tomatoes in Punjab? “This state already produces the best coloured quality tomatoes in India, which has also been confirmed by HUL Rajpura,” he said.
During the visit, the Union Minister urged the HUL management to increase local procurement so that Punjab farmers can avail this facility. He assured that the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will provide all necessary support to Punjab farmers. Singh further questioned, “If Maharashtra can produce such a large quantity of tomato paste, why not Punjab?”
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, Minister Singh stressed that the government and the private sector should work together to empower farmers in Punjab. He reiterated that with the right guidance and support, the state can become a leader in tomato production and processing.
