CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Governor and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, S.F. Rodrigues, on Thursday laid down a specific time frame for making the Modern Terminal Market for Fruits and Vegetables project functional. This Terminal Market will act as an export hub for the properly graded and packed agriculture produce from the region to big markets, malls and hotels in other countries.

General Rodrigues, after a presentation given by a Reliance team on the theme of Agri-tech Infrastructure Zone Concept, told them that the process of rejuvenation of this vital sector of economy had already been started by undertaking diversification of crops on a massive scale by breaking the wheat-paddy cycle.

He said that the Punjab State Farmers' Commission had been set up to coordinate the various agri-related activities and educate the farmers through training programmes, for using modern techniques of farming, quality seeds, minimum usage of fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides to enhance the quality of agriculture produce. FICCI and Punjab Agriculture University had been closely associated in various training and extension education programmes.

The PAU had been authorised to issue the requisite processes and procedures certification to ensure the export of farmers produce as per EUROPGAP standards.

Gen Rodrigues said that the farmers were also being motivated to undertake allied professions of dairying and poultry to supplement their income and the necessary support was being provided to them. He said that in Chandigarh, a state-of-the-art milk plant was being set up to facilitate the processing of milk produced by the farmers in the adjoining areas of the Union Territory and for value added products. Chandigarh UT Home Secretary Krishna Mohan, UT Finance Secretary S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner R.K. Rao and Punjab State Farmers' Commission Secretary K. S. Pannu were present on the occasion.

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