CHANDIGARH, Oct 17: Canadian Federal Minister of International Trade Edward Fast today evinced interest in collaborating with Punjab for the cultivation of canola oil and providing technical know-how in the field of solar energy, power generation from biomass and dairying.
A Canadian delegation led by Edward Fast today called on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here.
Taking part in the deliberations, Fast promised Badal to resolve the issue for setting up proposed Food Development Centre (FDC) in Punjab at the earliest on the lines of one set up in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the spirit of MoU already signed between the Province of Manitoba Canada and Punjab government in June 2009.
The Canadian minister evinced interest in collaborating with Punjab for the cultivation, promotion and production of Canola, in which Canada has an enviable position in the world market.
Likewise, the Canadian Federal Minister also showed keen interest in providing technical know-how in the field of solar energy, power generation from biomass and dairying.
Sharing the Canadian experience and advancement in the field of swine and bovine genetics, Fast assured the Chief Minister that both Canada and Punjab could play a pivotal role in improving the breed of milch cattle besides strengthening the dairy sector through value addition by converting milk into new high value dairy products.
He also put forth a proposal to initiate a skill development training programme for youth by forging collaboration with the technical institutes in Punjab as per the requirement of the manpower in different sectors especially industry, hospitality and paramedics.
He also appreciated that the best Canadian universities were efficiently manned by the academicians from Punjab and hoped to mutually explore several opportunities to further raise the standard of education through teacher students exchange programmes.
Earlier, the Chief Minister called upon the Canadian delegation to forge collaboration between Punjab Agricultural University and their premier agriculture university or an institute of excellence in developing climate resilient varieties of wheat, canola and chickpea, enhancing shelf life of vegetables, developing disease resistant and high protein and iron content wheat, precision agriculture for efficient use of inputs.
He also told the Canadian Minister that Punjab is making strenuous efforts to bring diversification of agriculture through developing its dairying and allied farming sectors. (PTI)
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