Mohali, Mar 14 (PTI) The Punjab government will set up three exhibition centres in the state to give a major boost to industry and commerce in the state, said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday.

Interacting with industrialists during various sessions at the ongoing Progressive Punjab Investment Summit here, Mann congratulated participants for actively brainstorming on key economic and industrial issues affecting Punjab.

"Punjab does not have big exhibition centres due to which the industry does not have proper places to showcase its products.

"To address this gap, the Punjab government is in the process of setting up three world-class exhibition centres at Ludhiana, New Chandigarh and Amritsar on the lines of Pragati Maidan in New Delhi so that industry gets a strong platform to display their goods and boost economic activity," said Mann.

Highlighting the significance of the Progressive Punjab Investment Summit, the CM said, "This summit has transformed into a well-managed platform where investors are sharing ideas and exploring opportunities in a big way. This will benefit both Punjab and the investors as we collectively work towards strengthening the state's economy." "Our aim is to further strengthen the export-driven economy of Punjab as the state has enormous potential to move from traditional agricultural exports to value-added products," added Mann.

Mann asserted that the Punjab government is preparing the state for the next 50 years of economic growth with a clear vision of transforming the state into a global export hub.

Highlighting Punjab's contribution to the country's food security, the CM noted that the state continues to be the food bowl of India.

"Punjab produces around 185 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 125 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. Because of this contribution, Punjab is proudly known as the food bowl of the country," said Mann.

He highlighted Punjab's immense potential in food processing and cited examples of several regions known for specialized agricultural produce.

"Punjab has tremendous potential in food processing. Pathankot's litchis, Hoshiarpur's mangoes and Jalandhar's potatoes are examples of crops where value addition through food processing can significantly increase farmers' income," stated Mann.

The CM emphasized that diversification of agriculture is essential to break the wheat-paddy cycle.

"Farmers in Punjab want to move beyond the wheat-paddy cycle, but the challenge is the lack of viable alternatives. Food processing offers a practical solution. Farmers will adopt crops like maize if they receive income comparable to paddy.

"Therefore, we must ensure that diversification becomes economically viable for farmers," said Mann. PTI CHS DRR