South Asias first high-tech food and vegetable market is to be set up near Makhan Majra village in Chandigarh to cater to the needs of farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
This terminal market will have the worlds best infrastructure to handle foods and vegetables. It will include ripening chambers and cold storage facility to stocks up to 3,000 tonnes, electronic grading and sorting lines, pack house facility, quality evaluation station, underground conveyer-belt based movement and handling systems with pre-cooling facility. Besides it, the market will also have testing, labeling, certification facilities and also on-line spot commodity trading and electronic auction facility.
Such a facility will give a big boost to the diversification of agriculture in this region and also add to the income of farmers.
The market will have the capacity to handle 700 tonnes of foods and vegetables daily. The scientifically graded and packed produce will be sent to big markets, malls, hotels besides exporting to West Asia and European countries. The Chandigarh airport will be used for export purpose, it is learnt.
For the collection of foods and vegetables, centres will be set up at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Mr K.S. Pannu, member-Secretary of the Kisan Commission, said that the commission had already started identifying the sites to set up collection centres in Punjab. These centres, which will also have modern facilities to handle fruits, vegetables etc will be run by professional managers.
All emphasis will be on growing vegetables and other foods organically because there is a ready market for it. There will also be provision of agri- clinics and agriculture extension facilities at these centres.
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