CHANDIGARH: Making a strong pitch to transform Punjab from India’s food basket into a global food processing hub, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Food Processing Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian today rolled out the red carpet for British investment in organic farming, pack-houses, cold chains and dairy technology to take homegrown brands like Verka and Five Rivers to the UK market.
The Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, along with Principal Secretary Food Processing Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, held threadbare deliberations here at Kisan Bhawan with a British delegation comprising Ms Alba Smeriglio, British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, Dr Nicholas Gribit, First Secretary Trade, British High Commission, and Mr Anup Narayan, Senior Trade Adviser, to deepen bilateral cooperation in organic farming, dairy, crop residue management and quality certification other sectors.
Welcoming the delegation, Khudian said the welfare of Punjab’s farmers will remain the cornerstone of any international partnership and assured full support from the state government for collaborations.
On the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Ms. Rakhee Gupta Bhandari said it offers Punjab zero-duty access on 99% of UK tariff lines for processed foods, basmati, spices, honey, pickles and kinnow products, while protecting sensitive sectors like dairy and cereals to safeguard local farmers.
