British envoy meets Punjab minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra to discuss collaborations in agri trade
Amritsar, July 11
Following the successful maiden export of Punjab’s litchi to England, the United Kingdom Deputy High Commissioner Caroline Rowett today called upon the Punjab Horticulture Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra at Chandigarh to discuss strategies for future litchi consignments and sharing and promoting agro-allied technologies.
The first consignment of 10 quintals of litchi grown in Pathankot was exported to London through the cargo facility at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, on June 28. As per information, the litchi fetched five times the rate in London market.
During the high-level meeting focused on expanding Punjab’s agricultural export potential and fostering international collaborations, Jouramajra highlighted the government’s vision of positioning Punjab’s products on the global map.
Rowett expressed keen interest in the litchi export program and assured the development of a roadmap for future collaborations between Punjab and the United Kingdom.
Citing the recent litchi shipment as a prime example of the state government’s initiative to explore new markets for the state’s produce, he said that the next big shipment of litchi from the state will be exported to England soon.
Director (Horticulture) Shailender Kaur said that the recent litchi export initiative, launched in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), marked a significant milestone for Punjab’s agricultural sector.
“The litchis, sourced from the sub-mountainous districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur, are renowned for their deep red colour and superior sweetness due to the region’s favourable climate”, she said.
Meanwhile, potential collaborations in other fields like solar energy, artificial intelligence, drone mapping, advancements in precision agriculture, opportunities in agribusiness ventures, exploration of carbon and water credits and development of a unified brand for Punjab’s exports were also part of discussion during the meeting.
