Punjab Agro outdoes Mexico in red chilli paste

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, December 19

Punjab Agro has snatched red chilli paste market from Mexico this year. The tunraround came after Punjab Agro modernised its plant, which was set up in 2004 at Alamgarh village near Abohar.

A target to export 100 containers of red chilli paste was set. Of these, 81 containers have already been shipped to the Middle East and Gulf nations in the last five years after procuring chilies directly from farmers.

The government has set up a Centre of Excellence for Vegetable Production with an outlay of Rs 8 crore. The centre produces around 40 lakh seedlings per year.

The vachinery has been imported from Italy and Poland. Moreover, a designated carrot mandi has been opened at the plant to provide better market access to farmers.

Punjab Agro has increased facilitating/ marketing of Kinnow from 3,706 MT in 2018-19 to around 25,000 MT this year. Kinnow waxing and grading centres have been set up in six villages at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

Manjit Singh Brar, managing director, Punjab Agro, said, “A research agreement has been inked with Punjabi University for Limopan- a nutraceutical from kinnow biomass. As the nutraceutical industry will grow to Rs 70 crore in the coming years, it will benefit kinnow farmers.” “Non-marketable Kinnow will be purchased directly from farmers and processed for manufacturing fruit and allied drinks. The quantity of juice required for different liquid beverages will be scaled to 25 lakh litres,” he said.

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