Punjab wants Centre to buy maize from farmers at MSP

Punjab government will approach the Centre for bringing maize under the central procurement mechnism like for wheat and rice, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said today.
Punjab aims to increase area under maize as part of its farm diversification programme.
Badal said that he would take up this issue with the Union Government for giving MSP on it like wheat and paddy.
The state Agriculture Department has identified maize as alternative crop to break the rotation of wheat and paddy, making agriculture not only more sustainable but also environment friendly, the chief minister said at the inauguration of a cannery near here.

He said that under its flagship program of crop diversification, the state government has decided to increase area under Maize by reducing the area under rice cultivation.
However, Badal said that such a target would be difficult to achieve unless the Centre decides to procure maize at a minimum support price from the farmers.

Central procurement agency FCI buys wheat and rice from farmers at the MSP in the state.
In a leap forward towards promoting agro-based Industry in the state, Badal dedicated a cannery set up by Markfed to people at Chuharwali near here.
The cannery has been set at a cost of approximately Rs 50 crore, he said. The new unit has tripled the production capacity with regard to the old unit and it was equipped to produce 66 lakh cans and 48 lakh pouches of ready to eat food per annum, he said.

In addition, it would produce 5.60 lakh cans of fruit in syrup and 18 lakh bottles of Ketchup and Jam every year.
The Chief Minister, who also laid the foundation stone of Markfed Honey Processing Plant, while underscoring the need for diversification of agriculture, exhorted the farmers to adopt allied farming activities such as goatery, piggery, Bee Keeping and others to supplement their income.
He said that the basic motive of establishing a 3000 MT Honey Processing Unit of such a large production capacity in the Cooperative Sector was to benefit the farmers and enhance the production of the Honey.

Badal also called upon the farmers to come forward and adopt Bee Keeping since it was financially remunerative on account of generous subsidy being provided in this regard by the State Government.