To enhance agricultural productivity, create employment opportunities and increase the farmers’ income, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Food Processing Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Friday proposed the Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan to set up a Mega Food Park at Bathinda.

Khudian, during a courtesy meeting with the Union Minister in New Delhi, apprised him that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has envisioned to increase farmers’ income by value addition to their produce, besides creating robust employment opportunities for the youth.

Highlighting the need of Mega Food Park in Malwa region, Khudian said that this facility will go a long way to leverage perishable agricultural produce by manufacturing processed food products for domestic as well as export markets.

Khudian further informed that with the remarkable success of the Mega Food Park at Ladhowal in Ludhiana, the state has huge potential for another Mega Food Park in Malwa region. He offered that adequate land will be provided by the State Government for setting up the Mega Food Park.

He also impressed upon the Union Food Processing Minister to intervene for the release of fourth installment of grant-in-aid for Ladhowal Mega Food Park, besides awarding a Food Testing Laboratory for Amritsar with requisite accreditation as food processing enterprises, traders, Punjab Rice Millers Association and Achaar-Murabba Association have to get their food products tested from Mohali or Delhi.