Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said Milkfed was among the top three milk-product agencies in the country and had set a record by purchasing 31 lakh litres of milk per day during the financial year 2023-2024.
Speaking at the state-level function of the 71st All India Cooperation Week, Cheema also claimed that the AAP govt had revived Sugarfed, which was earlier burdened with liabilities exceeding Rs 400 crore during the previous regime.
“During the last two years, these liabilities have not only been cleared, but the institution has been strengthened significantly. As a result of these efforts, the area under sugarcane cultivation has increased from 50,429 hectares in 2022-23 to 56,391 hectares in 2024-25.
Efforts to bring this institution from loss to profit have also been made, with a 14 MW cogeneration plant running on paddy straw at Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill, earning Rs 15.31 crore in 2023-24,” he said.
Cheema called the cooperation department the “backbone” of Punjab’s economic development. He also launched a web portal – Phulkari – developed by the department. The portal aims to provide a world-class sales avenue for the products crafted by women artisans across the state.
The minister also appreciated the role of Markfed in promoting crop diversification through a price support scheme for moong to divert farmers from the paddy-wheat cycle.
He said Markfed procured 7,584 metric tonnes of moong, benefiting 4,515 farmers.
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