'Mechanisation,more marketing needed for crop diversification'

Chandigarh, Feb 12. Investment in infrastructure for farm mechanisation and linkage between industry and scientists for horticulture and alternate crops are needed in a bid to push the Punjab government's crop diversification agenda, agri and food industry officials said today. The farm and food processing industry also laid stress on creating awareness among farmers especially small and marginal ones to grow more alternate crops under contract farming framework which could help state to come out of wheat-paddy rotation. "The state government is now required to invest in creating infrastructure for farm mechanisation so as to encourage labour intensive crops like vegetables and fruits which will help the state in a big way in achieving twin objective of dealing with labour shortage and crop diversification," Pagro Foods MD N S Brar told PTI today. "We do not get labour especially for horticulture crops like vegetables as it requires a lot of labour for harvesting. The government should step in and import machinery for horticulture crops so it should get a push in the state," he said. Pagro Foods grows several kinds of vegetables including green peas, capsicum, sweet corn etc and 25 per cent of procurement goes for exports. Pointing out that there was a mismatch between what quality and variety of crop farmers grow and what industry require, agro-processing sector asked the state government to create linkage between industry and farm experts so that crop varieties could be developed as per industry requirements. "At several times, we need crops like corn, wheat or vegetables of certain varieties but farmers do not grow that one or they are not available," said Kulwant Nutritions of Jagmohan Singh Nagi. "Therefore, there should be a linkage between experts like Punjab Agriculture university and industry to produce quality crops which have demand and acceptability in the market," Nagi said. The Batala-based firm makes corn meal, rice meal and corn flour and ready to eat food. He also stressed on setting up a government owned testing facilities to determine nutritional value of crops in order which would be helpful for exports purposes. Punjab government is going to hold a Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit (PPAS) from February 16-19 in order to chalk out a pro-farmer action plan for farm development.