Tata Trust in contract with Punjab farmers for Basmati

Ludhiana, June 9 (UNI) Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), in collaboration with Rattan Tata Trust, will sow a compact 100 acre demonstration block under Basmati in two villages, namely Kamaske and Baniyanke, in Amritsar district.

Interacting with the progressive farmers of these villages, the PAU's Director of Extension Education, Dr S S Gill and representatives of Rattan Tata Trust yesterday decided to make available the prevailing technologies for clean cultivation of Basmati.

The highlight of the interaction was an assurance by the PAU that the growers would get remunerative returns for the produce.

In case of distress sale of the crop, PAU and the Rattan Tata Trust would compensate the farmers under this public-private partnership programme.

The Trust has given a sum of Rs 23 lakh to the PAU for the project of this contract farming for the Basmati rice.

Dr Gill said only the recommended Basmati varieties would be sown on the 100 acre land identified for the contract and that the farmners would get all the technical inputs by the field staff of the Rattan Tata Trust during the period of the growth of these varieties.

UNI XC PS VJ ND1912