Punjab Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today invited Central Europe's biggest flower producer JMP Flowers to enter into technical collaboration with Punjab to establish a 100 acre fully automated green house in Ludhiana to kick start exotic flower production in Punjab. The Deputy CM was visiting the 33 million euro Orchid planting, rearing and packaging assembly line facility of JMP flowers. Accompanied by the Lubelskie deputy chief ministe, Mr Badsl said the same example could be replicated in Ludhiana with the involvement of young farmer entrepreneurs. He said plug in production facilities would be provided at the 100 acre green house site in Ludhiana and young entrepreneurs could take up areas of 10 to 15 acres each. He said such a large facility would ensure economy of scale as was the case with JMP flowers which had huge green houses over 100 acres of land.
Meanwhile JMP owner Jacek Ptaszek briefed the Deputy CM that the automated facility imported seedlings from China and Taiwan and then planted, reared and packed them in small boxes to be sold in the retail market in Europe. JMP Flowers sells orchids worth 30 million euros in the European market every year. The Deputy CM also held a high level meeting with members of the Polish Chamber of Industries as well as prospective Polish investors wishing to set up base in Punjab. Polish Foreign Relations Director Jerzy Drozdz said around 30 investors and representatives of various industries led by Lubelskie chief minister Stawomir Sosnowskie would take part in the Invest Punjab summit in October. Mr Drozdz also disclosed that the delegation would also visit the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana to sign an agreement for collaboration in food processing.
In another development, investors proposing to invest in the food processing, pharmaceutical and IT sectors also called on the Deputy CM. This included Piotr Nowak, who is the owner of the largest soft fruit producers group of Poland. Researchers who wish to bring in new technology into Punjab including Wilfred Nelson and Shakti Upadhya also met the Deputy CM. Mr Sukhbir Badal also held a one to one meeting with Poland Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinsk during the course of which the Polish PM said Punjab would be the first State to be visited by Polish investors after the launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign. The Deputy CM welcomed the Go India campaign started by the Polish government and requested for a new campaign - "Go Punjab in India". "We promise speedy clearance and incentives which will make this campaign a success", he added.