Chandigarh, June 9 (IANS) Punjab’s crop diversification efforts got a major fillip with cotton cultivation witnessing around 20 per cent surge, taking the area under cotton from 2.49 lakh acres last year to 2.98 lakh acres this year, an increase of over 49,000 acres, state Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Monday.

Chairing a meeting to review the ongoing Kharif season and departmental projects here, Khudian said Fazilka district leads in cotton cultivation with 60,121 hectares, followed by Mansa (27,621 hectares), Bathinda (17,080 hectares), and Muktsar Sahib (13,240 hectares).

The minister said the state government would provide a 33 per cent subsidy on cotton seeds to growers, with over 49,000 farmers having already registered online.

He directed the Chief Agriculture Officers to ensure all cotton growers complete online registration by June 15.

The minister expressed satisfaction over the enthusiastic response of the state’s farmers towards Kharif maize cultivation, with over 54,000 acres already sown in just nine days since sowing commenced on June 1 across the state.

The government will give an incentive of Rs 17,500 per hectare to farmers for shifting from paddy to Kharif maize under a pilot project covering six districts — Bathinda, Sangrur, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, and Kapurthala. The project aims to bring 12,000 hectares under Kharif maize, promoting agricultural diversification and groundwater conservation. To facilitate this transition, the state government has appointed 200 ‘kisan mitras’ to guide and encourage farmers.

The state’s agricultural sector is showing positive trends, with these numbers reflecting the combined efforts of farmers and the government’s initiatives to promote crop diversification and boost agricultural productivity. The minister also reviewed the status of direct sowing of rice (DSR), fertiliser availability, and other projects, while directing district agriculture chiefs to ensure quality agricultural inputs to farmers, as safeguarding the farmers’ interests remains the top priority of the government.

–IANS

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