Chandigarh, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab must move beyond agricultural production and strengthen its ability to market and promote its products in domestic and international markets, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at a seminar organised jointly by the Punjab State Food Commission, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department and Punjab Trade Promotion Council (PTPC), focusing on Food Processing MSMEs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), cooperatives, startups and societies.
Khuddian said Punjab has fertile land and a hardworking population, providing a strong foundation for entrepreneurship and value-added agriculture.
“We must not only produce but also know how to market our product across the country as well as at the global platforms,” he said, stressing the need to take Punjab’s entrepreneurial potential to the next level.
Punjab State Food Commission Chairman Bal Mukand Sharma said the state had entered an era of value addition and needed to transform agriculture into agri-business.
He said more than 5,000 schools were witnessing the installation of herbal gardens where vegetables were being grown organically, adding that the focus now needed to shift from food security to nutrition security.
PTPC Chairperson Kanchan Sharma, while welcoming entrepreneurs, said the council was working to create an institutional platform for trade, investment and industrial growth and to position Punjab as a global business hub.
Entrepreneurs also shared their experiences during the seminar. N.S. Brar of PAGRO spoke about his journey into exporting quality products to Japan, while Amartex Founder and Chairman Arun Grover shared his entrepreneurial experience. International chef Vikas Chawla highlighted the nutritional importance of millet-based food.
The second session focused on cooperatives, startups, societies and SHGs, with speakers emphasising the importance of expanding entrepreneurship and self-help initiatives in Punjab. The contribution of Markfed to the cooperative movement in the state was also highlighted.
Rural Development and Panchayats and Tourism Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said the number of SHGs in Punjab had increased significantly under the present state government.
He said there were around 26,000 SHGs when the government took charge in March 2022, while the number had risen to 56,000 after four years, which he attributed to the government’s pro-entrepreneurial policies.
SHGs in Punjab are community-based groups, largely comprising rural women, who pool small monthly savings, generally ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per member, to create microcredit funds and establish income-generating enterprises.
Sond also praised Bal Mukand Sharma, who superannuated as Chairman of the Punjab State Food Commission on Tuesday, for initiatives aimed at increasing awareness about nutrition security during his tenure.
A book chronicling the life journey of late Punjabi actor Jaswinder Singh Bhalla was also released by Sond. Describing Bhalla as an exceptional human being and actor, Sond said his contribution to Punjabi cinema, particularly the comedy genre, would remain memorable.
An artistic presentation depicting Sharma’s life and his close brotherly bond with Bhalla was also staged during the event.
The seminar concluded with the felicitation of entrepreneurs, FPOs and SHGs for their contributions.
FOLLOW NOW
