Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal exhorts industry to adopt corporate farming

NEW DELHI: Inviting the industry to invest in farming, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today suggested that 'corporate farming' can be adopted with farmers continuing to hold ownership and cultivation rights of land.

".. under corporate farming, ownership of land will remain with the farmer and he can also cultivate it. At the same time, the industry can help farmers with the latest technology and techniques and as a result, they will get produce as per their requirements," the Food Processing Minister said at a conference organised by CII here.

This will also ensure that the farmer gets a decent guaranteed remuneration, she added.

The minister said the Punjab government is ready to implement corporate farming on a trial basis.

"...if the corporate farming model works out in Punjab, where industry acts as a partner, it can be tried in other states also," she said.

"Industry will prosper if only the farms prosper, because farm produce is ultimately the raw material for the food processing industry. Hence, the industry needs to strengthen the backward and forward supply chain integration."

Speaking at the conference, Rasna Managing Director Piruz Khambatta, who is also the chairman of a CII panel on food processing, pitched for launching a massive campaign called 'Food from India'.

"The campaign should showcase the potential and benefits of food processing sector for consumers as well as nation," Khambatta said.

Echoing views, Somany Ceramics Managing Director Shreekant Somany said a flourishing food processing sector is crucial to ensure national food security.

"Proper farm linkages with manufacturing are critical to leverage the potential of the sector," he added.