CHANDIGARH, SEPT 6
Punjab is all set to undertake entire peas farming operations through hi- tech mechanization and the clearance to procure 'Green Peas Harvesting Machine' by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal was a right step in the direction to bring 'Green Peas' Harvesting technology with a thrust to promote food processing industry on one hand and diversification of agriculture in the state on the other.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that, the Chief Minister gave nod to purchase this ultra modern machine from Holland based firm Ploeger at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore for the mechanized plucking of peas, which would not only curtail the labour cost but also enhance the value addition as the peas plucked through this machine would be 100% utilized for processing. The state government through Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited has identified Green Peas Harvestor of Hollond and was being imported as a prototype. The main purpose for introducing this harvester in the Punjab was to mechanize green peas harvesting technologies. This effort of the state government would help the farmers/processors to enhance area under peas and also result in diversification in agriculture. It has also decided to develop indigenous harvester and successful working of above Holland make machine. The indigenous machines would be developed at much lower cost once a prototype was available. It may be recalled that against 40 lakh Metric Ton of Peas produced in India only 10% were processed resulting in 1.25 lakh metric ton of frozen peas. On the contrary developed countries like UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Netherlands and USA indulged in 100% processing of peas because these countries had processing plants with mechanized harvesting operations of huge capacity.
The spokesperson further said that Punjab was the only state of the country which was endowed with excellent agro ecological conditions such as climate, soil, water, sunshine, etc., which were highly conducive for growing of several varieties of various crops. Predominantly, cereal crop productivity in the state has reached a plateau and cost of cultivation was increasing at a much faster pace than that of the final selling price. Therefore, the state government was laying thrust on cultivation of Fruits and Vegetables, as an alternative crop to ensure better remunerative prices to the farmers. However, absence of requisite harvesting machinery and cool chain Infrastructure has adversely hampered distribution, processing and exports of horticultural produce.
As the farmers of Punjab were gradually taking up cultivation of horticulture crops viz. fruits& vegetables, thus it has been felt that comprehensive Infrastructure Development like harvesting machinery, setting up of nurseries, proper collection, handling, transportation, sorting, controlled atmosphere cold storage, processing facilities and a marketing network were the need of the hour. Thus, in order to enhance area under vegetables and give a boost to diversification in agriculture besides encouraging food processing industry in the state, the Punjab Government has decided to introduce mechanized harvesting of green peas and other vegetables in the state, which would not only bring down the cost of harvesting but would also help the farmers to take up another additional crop as its harvesting period would be reduced by over one month.
It may be recalled that at the national level 40 Lacs MT of Green Peas was produced mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan out of which, only 10% was processed, with annual production of around 1.25 lac MT of Frozen Green Peas. Likewise, Pea was the most popular crop of Punjab and in the year 2012-13 Green Peas were grown on 20,326 hectares across the state with production of 2,08,171 MT. Out of this only 10-15% was processed by Frozen Vegetables Processing Plants located in the state. Due to the manual picking of Green Peas farmers faced huge problems in organizing semi-skilled women labour, which not only increases the cost of Green Peas but also restricts adequate quantity supplies to the processing industry. Owing to this more than 50-60% demand of Green Peas Processing Industry was met through procurement from the adjoining States like Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand.
Presently, the farmers of Punjab were gradually taking up cultivation of horticulture crops viz. fruits & vegetables. During 1996-97, the production of vegetables was 16.99 lac MT which has gone up to 41.02 lac MT during 2013-14. Pea is the most popular crop of Punjab and Patiala,Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Sangrur, Faridkot are major fruits & vegetables growing districts in the state of Punjab.
Punjab is all set to undertake entire peas farming operations through hi- tech mechanization and the clearance to procure 'Green Peas Harvesting Machine' by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal was a right step in the direction to bring 'Green Peas' Harvesting technology with a thrust to promote food processing industry on one hand and diversification of agriculture in the state on the other.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that, the Chief Minister gave nod to purchase this ultra modern machine from Holland based firm Ploeger at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore for the mechanized plucking of peas, which would not only curtail the labour cost but also enhance the value addition as the peas plucked through this machine would be 100% utilized for processing. The state government through Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited has identified Green Peas Harvestor of Hollond and was being imported as a prototype. The main purpose for introducing this harvester in the Punjab was to mechanize green peas harvesting technologies. This effort of the state government would help the farmers/processors to enhance area under peas and also result in diversification in agriculture. It has also decided to develop indigenous harvester and successful working of above Holland make machine. The indigenous machines would be developed at much lower cost once a prototype was available. It may be recalled that against 40 lakh Metric Ton of Peas produced in India only 10% were processed resulting in 1.25 lakh metric ton of frozen peas. On the contrary developed countries like UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Netherlands and USA indulged in 100% processing of peas because these countries had processing plants with mechanized harvesting operations of huge capacity.
The spokesperson further said that Punjab was the only state of the country which was endowed with excellent agro ecological conditions such as climate, soil, water, sunshine, etc., which were highly conducive for growing of several varieties of various crops. Predominantly, cereal crop productivity in the state has reached a plateau and cost of cultivation was increasing at a much faster pace than that of the final selling price. Therefore, the state government was laying thrust on cultivation of Fruits and Vegetables, as an alternative crop to ensure better remunerative prices to the farmers. However, absence of requisite harvesting machinery and cool chain Infrastructure has adversely hampered distribution, processing and exports of horticultural produce.
As the farmers of Punjab were gradually taking up cultivation of horticulture crops viz. fruits& vegetables, thus it has been felt that comprehensive Infrastructure Development like harvesting machinery, setting up of nurseries, proper collection, handling, transportation, sorting, controlled atmosphere cold storage, processing facilities and a marketing network were the need of the hour. Thus, in order to enhance area under vegetables and give a boost to diversification in agriculture besides encouraging food processing industry in the state, the Punjab Government has decided to introduce mechanized harvesting of green peas and other vegetables in the state, which would not only bring down the cost of harvesting but would also help the farmers to take up another additional crop as its harvesting period would be reduced by over one month.
It may be recalled that at the national level 40 Lacs MT of Green Peas was produced mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan out of which, only 10% was processed, with annual production of around 1.25 lac MT of Frozen Green Peas. Likewise, Pea was the most popular crop of Punjab and in the year 2012-13 Green Peas were grown on 20,326 hectares across the state with production of 2,08,171 MT. Out of this only 10-15% was processed by Frozen Vegetables Processing Plants located in the state. Due to the manual picking of Green Peas farmers faced huge problems in organizing semi-skilled women labour, which not only increases the cost of Green Peas but also restricts adequate quantity supplies to the processing industry. Owing to this more than 50-60% demand of Green Peas Processing Industry was met through procurement from the adjoining States like Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand.
Presently, the farmers of Punjab were gradually taking up cultivation of horticulture crops viz. fruits & vegetables. During 1996-97, the production of vegetables was 16.99 lac MT which has gone up to 41.02 lac MT during 2013-14. Pea is the most popular crop of Punjab and Patiala,Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Sangrur, Faridkot are major fruits & vegetables growing districts in the state of Punjab.
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