Chandigarh: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (GOI), 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, emphasized the need for collaboration among these stakeholders to enable Punjab farmers to grow tomatoes of international standards and subsequently produce tomato paste.
The HUL plant in Rajpura requires 11,423 metric tonnes of tomato paste annually for ketchup production, but only 50 metric tonnes are currently sourced from Punjab. Minister Singh proposed engaging PAU Ludhiana to develop a hybrid tomato seed that meets international standards, enabling Punjab farmers to take up tomato cultivation.
“Today, companies are procuring paste from across India, with Punjab supplying only 2% of the total requirement. If farmers are assured fair prices, why shouldn’t they produce tomatoes in Punjab? The state already produces tomatoes with the best color quality in India, as confirmed by HUL Rajpura,” he remarked.
During the plant visit, the Union Minister urged HUL management to increase local procurement, ensuring Punjab farmers benefit from the facility. He assured that the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would provide all necessary support to Punjab farmers. Singh further questioned, “If Maharashtra can produce tomato paste in such large volumes, why can’t Punjab?