Punjab expecting bumper crops, promoting diversification

Moga, Sep 29 (UNI) Punjab expects bumper paddy and cotton and is actively opting for achieving high-yield through diversification of crops and superior quality of seeds.

The state has been able to achieve the targets despite reduction in area of paddy of about 80,000 hectares and recent damage to crops by rain and storm, said Gurdev Singh Gill, Joint Director Agriculture Punjab.

Similarly, the Joint Director also claimed exceeding the target of cotton production of 20 lakh bales of more than 24 lakh bales. It is also due to provide better quality of cotton seeds and bringing about 75 per cent area under BT cotton.

The Joint Director Agriculture also disclosed that the department under its diversification of cropping pattern by reducing 1.68 lakh hectares of area, wheat will be sown in 33 lakh hectares and production will be of 145 lakh MT against last year's wheat production of 144.95 lakh MT.

The department has also decided to increase area iunder sugarcane from 84,000 hectares to 1.25 lakh hectares expecting 72 lakh MT of sugarcane against last year's production of only 50 lakh MT.

Area under pulses will also be increased from 10,000 hectares to 35000 hectares with 48,000 MT of production, the joint director claimed.

The joint director also claimed that the department provided 3.55 lakh quintals of certified wheat seed to farmers last year and proposed to supply 4.54 lakh quintals of certified wheat seed during the next rabi season.

UNI XC JN PR BD1716