Boost tomato production with industry collaboration : Minister

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab Agro Industries Corporation and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) are set to hold joint deliberations to enhance tomato production and paste manufacturing in Punjab.

During his visit to the Hindustan Unilever plant in Rajpura, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, stressed the need for collaboration among these stakeholders to help Punjab farmers grow tomatoes of international standards and produce tomato paste locally.

The HUL plant in Rajpura requires 11,423 metric tonnes of tomato paste annually for ketchup production, yet only 50 metric tonnes are currently sourced from Punjab.

Minister Bittu proposed involving PAU Ludhiana to develop a hybrid tomato seed that meets international standards, which would encourage Punjab farmers to take up tomato cultivation.

“Today, companies are sourcing paste from across India, with Punjab supplying only 2 per cent of the total requirement. If farmers are guaranteed fair prices, why shouldn’t they produce tomatoes here in Punjab? The state already produces the best quality tomatoes in India, as confirmed by HUL Rajpura,” he remarked.

The minister urged HUL management to increase local procurement to ensure Punjab farmers benefit from the facility. He assured that the government would provide all necessary support to Punjab’to become a leader in tomato production.