Punjab rolls out agriculture diversification mission

The Punjab government today launched an 'agriculture diversification mission' to conserve its depleting ground water and ensure remunerative price to farmers for alternative crops.
Out of 26.50 lakh hectare area currently under paddy, 12 lakh hectare would be shifted to alternative crops like maize, sugarcane, cotton, pulses, fruits and vegetables besides agro forestry in next five years, an official spokesperson said.
He added that the Punjab government has provided 80 per cent subsidy on the agricultural infrastructure to the farmers for adopting drip irrigation, water tanks, solar water pumps and solar connections.
A state-of-the-art Borlaug Institute for South Asia was being established to develop new varieties of wheat, cotton and maize crop through research at Laddowal, Ludhiana, the spokesperson said.

An amount of Rs 500 crore has already been reserved for this institute, he added.