As a part of state government’s crop diversification programme, Punjab’s cooperative Markfed will set up an ultra modern honey processing unit involving capital outlay of Rs 15.50 crore. The Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) has approved a grant of Rs 8 crore for the unit of Markfed with an installed capacity of 3,000 tonne.
The plant would come up at Chuharwali village at Jalandhar, where construction of modern canneries was already under way. The Markfed proposes to export 2,000 tonnes of honey and sell the remaining 1,000 tonnes in the domestic market.
Further, in order to ensure timely and regular monetary gain to the bee keepers, Markfed has prepared a roadmap for the same. It has been prepared protecting the commercial interests of the organization. More than 450 bee-keepers have registered with Markfed to supply honey and many more were eager to join.