Punjab Markfed to set up honey processing unit at Jalandhar

CHANDIGARH: Punjab's cooperative Markfed will set up a modern honey processing unit at Jalandhar, involving capital outlay of Rs 15.50 crore, as part of state government's crop diversification programme.

The Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Development Authority ( APEDA) has approved a grant of Rs 8 crore for ultra modern honey processing unit of Markfed with an installed capacity of 3,000 tonne.

The plant would come up at Village Chuharwali, Jalandhar, where construction of modern canneries was already under way, with a total outlay of Rs 15.50 crore, an official spokesperson said.

Markfed had submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to APEDA with a request for the grant -in-aid for the project.

The Markfed proposes to export 2,000 tonnes of honey and sell the remaining 1,000 tonnes in the domestic market.

It has also prepared a roadmap for ensuring timely and regular monetary gain to the bee keepers while protecting the commercial interests of the organization, the spokesman said.

More than 450 bee-keepers have registered with Markfed to supply honey and many more were eager to join, he said.

Likewise, parleys were also held with scientists of Punjab Biotechnology Incubator, Mohali for providing state of the art testing facilities which would detect adulteration of sugar syrup in honey, thereby making Markfed the pioneer in introducing such testing of honey within the country.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had held a series of meetings for boosting the production of honey in the state to supplement the earnings of the farmers.

Badal had also mooted the idea of setting up a modern honey processing unit, the spokesperson said.