To kick start exotic flower production in Punjab, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Thursday invited Central Europe’s biggest flower producer — JMP Flowers — to enter into technical collaboration with Punjab to establish a 100-acre fully automated greenhouse in ludhiana.

Sukhbir was visiting 33 million euro Orchid planting, rearing and packaging assembly line facility of JMP flowers in Poland, a Press release issued here said. “The same example could be replicated in ludhiana with the involvement of young farmer entrepreneurs. Plug in production facilities would be provided at 100-acre greenhouse site in ludhiana and young entrepreneurs could take up areas of 10 to 15 acres each,” he said.

He said that such a large facility would ensure economy of scale as was the case with JMP flowers which had huge greenhouses over 100 acres of land.

Meanwhile, JMP owner Jacek Ptaszek briefed Sukhbir that the automated facility imported seedlings from China and Taiwan and then planted, reared and packed them in small boxes to be sold in retail market in Europe.

Sukhbir also held a high level meeting with members of the Polish Chamber of Industries as well as prospective Polish investors wishing to set up base in Punjab.

Polish Foreign Relations director Jerzy Drozdz said that around 30 investors and representatives of various industries led by lubelskie Chief Minister Stawomir Sosnowskie would take part in the Invest Punjab summit in October.

Drozdz also disclosed that the delegation would also visit Punjab Agriculture University, ludhiana, to sign an agreement for collaboration in food processing.

In another development, investors, including Piotr Nowak, the owner of largest soft fruit producers group of Poland, proposing to invest in the food processing, pharmaceutical and IT sectors also called on Sukhbir.

Researchers who wish to bring in new technology into Punjab including Wilfred Nelson and Shakti Upadhya also met him.

Sukhbir also held one-to-one meeting with Poland Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinsk during the course of which the Polish PM said that Punjab would be the first state to be visited by Polish investors after the launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India’ campaign.