India farmers doing well, but having trouble in marketing products

PASHU PALAN MELA   –   The Tribune

Say sans processing units, they fail to export produce

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 18

Farmers are thinking out of the box and coming up with various dairy and meat-based products, but marketing remains a major challenge before them.In the absence of processing units, these farmers sometimes fail to export their products. Farmers who had come to display their products during the Pashu Palan mela by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University share that marketing was a major hurdle coming in their way.Doraha-based Sukhwinder Singh, president of Piggery Farm Association who has come up with his brand “Can Meat” said his brand sells chicken pickle, mutton pickle and pork pickle and has recently launched ready-to-eat non-veg snacks such as nuggets, seekh kebab and meat balls.“The shelf life of these pickles is 3 months and no preservatives have been used in it,” Sukhwinder said.“Marketing of products is a major issue before us. The university has helped us technologically, but we lag behind when it comes to marketing. The government should provide some incentives and launch some scheme for small producers so that they can market their products easily,” he said.He said more than 50 per cent of his clientage comprises NRIs, who pick their stuff or ask someone coming to their country to get these pickles. “The demand for ready-to-eat food is there, but when it comes to pickle, especially pork, people here are a little reluctant,” he said.Sukhwinder recently went to Germany, Italy and other countries and says there was a huge scope for these products, but sadly he was unable to export as he lacks proper processing unit.“Importers from other countries ask for proper processing units before placing orders so it becomes a major hurdle for us in grabbing the overseas orders,” he said.Diary farmer Resham Singh, who has recently launched processed milk, curd, butter, lassi and kheer, said marketing was a major issue faced by him. “My products are popular in the nearby areas, but I want to expand my business and grow my business on a larger scale. Marketing of product is a major problem I face at present,” he said.