Markfed to export vegetables to Pakistan via Wagah

Chandigarh, Mar 15 (UNI) Markfed, the country's largest cooperative agency, has been directed to prepare an action plan for the export of vegetables and fruits including potato, tomato, onion, garlic and ginger to Pakistan and other central Asian countries through the Wagah road check post.

Presiding over a review meeting of the cooperative, Punjab Minister for Cooperation Kanwaljit Singh said this move would certainly boost the economy of the state and provide more employment opportunities.

He asked the Markfed authorities to upgrade and modernise the existing cooperative units to increase the productivity and sale in domestic and overseas markets.

The minister said an integrated marketing organisation would be set up to look into all aspects of marketing, including quality of production, branding, image building and selling of all products being manufactured by different cooperative organisations, including Markfed.

He stressed upon introducing professionalism in the management and policy changes and asked the organisation to bring more efficiency in order to provide quality service to the producers as well as consumers.

He said the Punjab Government was actively planning to create adequate infrastructure to ensure remunerative prices of agri produce to the farmers of the state. He called for strengthening of cooperative movement in the state with the mass involvement of the public at grass root level.

Mr G S Grewal, Managing Director, Markfed, said the cooperative would provide superior quality fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides and seeds to the farmers.

He also said that as one of the major procurement agency, Markfed plays an important role in providing remunerative prices to the farmers and also implements the various schemes in the state for the benefit of the farmers to produce quality crops at par with international market.

Mr Grewal said the grain testing state laboratory at Ropar would be upgraded. This lab was set up last year with an investment of Rs 1.43 crore subsidy from the Union Ministry of Food Processing.

UNI