Premier of Saskatchewan (Canada) Mr. Brad Wall today evinced keen interest in collaboration with Punjab in varied fields of agriculture, food technology, skill development, technical education besides dairying and livestock management. A Canadian delegation led by Brad Wall called on Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here at his residence this evening. During his interaction with the Chief Minister, Mr. Brad Wall said that there was a huge scope of bilateral cooperation in these areas as both Punjab and Saskatchewan had demonstrated their strength and dominance in agriculture and allied farming due to their vast experience and expertise. He apprised the Chief Minister that both the states were already working closely in the field of Veterinary sciences adding that there was tremendous potential for the mutual cooperation in the other allied sectors of agriculture and animal husbandry. The visiting Saskatchewan Premier also assured Mr. Badal of every technical help in the arena of food technology, food processing, agri Bio-technology, Post Harvest Management / Handling and Cold chain.
Welcoming the proposal mooted by the Chief Minister for initiating farmer exchange program between both the provinces, Mr. Brad Wall hoped that both of these states could be immensely benefitted from this unique experiences. He said that Saskatchewan would prefer collaboration with Punjab in different fields adding that the existing arrangements of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) with Saskatchewan University in developing new varieties of oil-seeds especially Cannola could be extended to cover new areas on the lines of student exchange program with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU).
Earlier, taking part in deliberations the Chief Minister, while recalling the historic and strong ties between Punjab and Canada, informed Mr. Brad wall that for all Punjabis ‘Canada was a second home’. He said that as both provinces were primarily agrarian economies with very strong agriculture base so as to mutually benefit from technology transfer, cooperation and support.
Badal urged the Saskatchewan premier to carry forward the proposals mutually agreed upon by both of them to its logical end so that these should not merely confine to the papers. He said that Punjab and Saskatchewan would soon have strategic alliance in the area of agriculture and agronomy practices to enhance the qualitative production of pulses besides food technology by signing respective MoUs. He also agreed to enter an agreement with Saskatchewan polytechnic institute with the state technical education department to award degrees and diplomas to our students under the dual degree and dual diploma program in order to enhance their chances of employability at international level.
Underscoring the need for Students and teachers exchange program, Mr. Badal said that the modalities in this regard could be worked out and formulated mutually by the senior functionaries of the state education department and Saskatchewan University. He also laid thrust on need of Farmers' Exchange Program for fast and easy transfer of technologies to the fields besides seeking technology transfer for the manufacturing of customised agriculture implements as per local needs with an aim to provide such agri-machinery on affordable rates to our farmers as the imported machinery was very expensive and not viable due to the smaller size of land holdings. Dwelling on another issue, the Chief Minister said that there was a great scope for collaboration in higher education in areas of engineering, medicine, emerging technologies and green technologies. He invited leading educational institutions and universities from Saskatchewan to collaborate with the state government to set up their campuses at the upcoming Educity and Medicity near Chandigarh.
Batting for the need to set up Skill Development Centers in Punjab to suit the mutual needs, the Chief Minister said that quality and trained manpower was the need of the hour and thus impressed upon Mr. Brad Wall to evolve a mechanism for mutual recognition of educational qualifications and skill certification between Punjab and Saskatchewan.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Food & Civil Supplies Minister Mr. Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Agriculture Minister Mr. Tota Singh, Financial Commissioner Development Mr. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary NRIs Affairs Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary Food Processing Mr. SR Ladar and Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar.The visiting delegation comprised Chief of Staff to the Premier Mr. Joe Donlevy, Deputy Minister, Agriculture Ms. Alanna Koch, Deputy Minister to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary Executive Council Mr. Doe Moen, Assistant Deputy Minister of International Relations and Protocol, Executive Council- Inter Governmental Affairs Ms. Kari Harvey, Consul General, Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh Ms Rajni Alexander and First Secretary, Canadian High Commission, New Delhi Ms. Rosaline Kwan.