Punjab aims to reduce wheat area, increase production

Moga, Oct 8 (UNI) Under the Punjab governments diversification programme, the area under wheat is expected to be reduced from 34.67 lakh hectares (last year) to 33.75 lakh hectares.

Despite the reduction in sown area, the state is expected to produce 145 lakh tonnes of wheat, which would be slightly higher than the last season, Joint Director, Plant Production in the state Agriculture Department, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill said here today.

The 145 lakh tonnes target would depend on the weather conditions this winter and the supply of proper seeds and timely application of fertilizers, he added.

Approximately 92,000 hectares area would be diverted from wheat to other crops like pulses, oilseeds and gram in the coming rabi season, he added.

According to Dr Gill, the area under sunflower will be increased from 16,000 hectares to 50,000 hectares and its production will shoot up from 24,000 tonnes last year to 80,000 tonnes. Similarly, area under oilseeds is being increased from 41,000 hectares to 80,000 hectares and its production will increase from 46,000 tonnes to 88,000 tonnes.

Dr Gill further said that the Agriculture Department with the cooperation of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) scientists will organise district, block and village level training camps to impart latest technical knowledge on rabi crops and better water resource management to the farmers.

The farmers during these camps will asked to take to organic farming in a phased manner, he added.

He claimed that there will be no shortage of fertilizers as Punjab government was very much aware and sensitive to the farmers needs. He stated that about 50 lakh tonnes of DAP and 12.15 lakh tonnes urea was already lying in stock for the farmers.

UNI