Canada keen to collaborate with Punjab in agriculture, skill development sectors

CHANDIGARH: Canada today evinced keen interest in forging alliance with Punjab in the field of skill development, agriculture, food processing, education, renewable energy, nutrition, dairying and livestock management.

A delegation led by Canada's High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel called on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here.

During the meeting, Patel said, "There is a huge scope of bilateral cooperation in these areas as both Punjab and Canada have demonstrated their strength and dominance in agriculture and allied farming due to vast experience and expertise."

He told the Chief Minister that both Punjab and several provinces of Canada were already working closely in the field of veterinary sciences.

There was "tremendous" potential for mutual cooperation in the other allied sectors of agriculture and animal husbandry, Patel added.

The visiting High Commissioner also assured Badal of every technical help in food technology, food processing, nutrition and agri bio-technology.

Patel offered to forge an alliance in the nutrition sector through signing an MoU between the PAU Ludhiana and Memorial University, St John's.

The Chief Minister, while recalling the historic and strong ties between Punjab and Canada, told Patel that for all Punjabis, "Canada was a second home".

He said that as both were primarily agrarian economies with very strong agriculture base they will benefit mutually from technology transfer, cooperation and support.

Badal urged the High Commissioner to carry forward the proposals agreed upon by both of them to its logical end.

Punjab and Canada would soon have strategic alliance in the area of skill development, agriculture, nutrition and bio-technology, he said.

Underscoring the need for students and teachers exchange programme, Badal said the modalities in this regard can be formulated by senior functionaries of the state education department and the premier educational institutions of Canada.

He also laid emphasis on need of Farmers' Exchange Programme for quick and easy transfer of technologies for introduction of new and scientific farm practices to Punjab.

Badal invited Canada's leading educational institutions and universities to collaborate with the government and set up their campuses at upcoming Edu-city and Medicity near Chandigarh.

The visiting delegation comprised Consul General, Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh Rajni Alexander, Trade Commissioner Gurbans Sobti among others.