Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Minister Harpal Cheema inaugurates PAU Agro-Processing Complex, lays foundation stone of Plant Accimtization facility
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana (Punjab), April 28, 2025: Striving to curb post-harvest losses, fortify agro-processing and value addition, as well as bolster rural livelihood, the Punjab Finance Minister Sardar Harpal Singh Cheema inaugurated “Agro-Processing Complex (APC) and Jaggery Processing Plant” at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today.
Thereafter, the Punjab Finance Minister laid the foundation stone of Plant Acclimatization Facility (PAF) at the School of Agricultural Biotechnology, PAU. Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Mr Rishi Pal Singh, Registrar; and other senior officials of the agri-varsity accompanied the Punjab Finance Minister during his long-hours visit to APC, PAF, MS Randhawa Library, Hostel no. 15, Gymnasium, swimming pool shooting Range PAU Guest House, and residential houses at PAU.
It is pertinent to mention that all the newly established buildings and renovation as well as construction works, underway at PAU, are being undertaken with the constant support of the Punjab government, which had allocated a capital grant of Rs 20 crore during 2024-25 for the up-gradation of the infrastructure.
Developed by PAU’s Department of Processing and Food Engineering at the cost Rs 46 lakh, the APC comprises machinery such as Pulse Mill, Pulse Cleaner-cum-Grader, Wheat Flour Mill, Mini Rice Mill, Rice Grader, Hydraulic Oil Processor, Grain Storage Silo, Automatic Packaging Machine, Vacuum Packaging Machine, Nitrogen Flush Packaging Machine, etc. Besides, an amount of Rs 2 crore has been earmarked for the establishment of PAF.
While assessing the work of the ongoing projects at PAU, Sardar Cheema praised the unwavering dedication of the agri-varsity that has not only stood the Punjab farmers in difficult times but has also rendered yeoman’s service to the development of agriculture at the state as well as the national level.
Expressing satisfaction and delighted to see the ongoing progress of PAU, the Minister ensured full support to PAU VC and University at large in all times to come.
“The University is making strenuous efforts to revive Punjab’s rural economy by helping agricultural community setup APCs for generating employment as well as profits,” stated Dr Gosal during a close interaction with Sardar Cheema.
Extending his heartfelt gratitude to the State Finance Minister for making financial provision for the development projects, the PAU VC apprised him of the future agriculture roadmap and assured him of the positive outcomes in the times to usher.
Earlier, while demonstrating an impressive presentation on “A High-Performance Computing (HPC) Platform for Building Punjab’s Digital Future: HPC for Digital Agriculture and Agri-Economics,” Dr (Mrs) Parveen Chhuneja, Director of GS Khush Institute of Genetics, Plant Breeding, and Biotechnology, PAU, observed that Punjab urgently needed a second artificial generated (AI) Green Revolution to revitalize its economy.
Citing successful examples of agricultural innovation in Israel and Germany, Dr Chhuneja voiced serious concern over resource, climate, crop, biotic, and economic challenges, posing a graving risk to Punjab’s agriculture.
Further, discussing the scope of HPC, she pointed to the thousands of tasks being handled at once, across users and locations as well as massive data processing, being done in days and not in years.
Elaborating, she presented the highlights of the economic impact of urea-use reduction via AI, leading to annual fiscal savings of Rs 193 crore; and 28 percent less nitrogen use in PR 132 in comparison to PR 131.
Additionally, Dr Chhuneja confirmed the increase in wheat and rice yields by 5 percent with genomics and AI interventions during 2023-24. Also, she deliberated on the impact of PR 126 rice variety and PBW 826 wheat variety in Punjab.
Calling on the Punjab government to provide financial assistance for the establishment of Punjab Agri-genomics Hub for Advanced Learning and Digital Agriculture (PAHAL) at PAU, Dr Chhuneja concluded with the remarks, “Punjab led the first Green Revolution (GR) and that it must lead the next GR by data and genomics.”
Development of more than 950 crop varieties, Accel Breed – Speed Breeding facility, wild germplasm collection of crops (1,500 of wild wheat and 1,200 of wild rice), High Throughput Genotyping Service Laboratory, PAU Gene Bank, Tissue Culture Plant Protection Facility, Plant Acclimatization Facility Genebank, etc. were some of the latest research accomplishments, highlighted during the visit of the Punjab Finance Minister.
Later, Sardar Cheema, Dr Gosal and officials and faculty of PAU relished a nourishing recipe prepared by the students of the College of Community Science, PAU.
The agri-varsity VC felicitated the State Finance Minister with a memento and phulkari. A coffee table book “Skilling Young and Old Punjab: PAU’s Colossal Feat" and a Package of Practices for Kharif Crops was also presented to the visiting dignitary.