Reiterating the State Government’s firm commitment to bail out farmers from the current agrarian crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said that the state government’s initiative to promote and develop livestock, dairy, fisheries and equestrian sports was a right step in this direction.
Badal, speaking after releasing the brochure of 8th National livestock Championship and Expo-2016 to be held from January 8 to 12 next at Sri Muktsar Sahib, said that the lucrative business of cattle rearing has been promoted at a large scale to encourage State’s youth to adopt this business as an alternative profession.
“This championship is being organised for last seven years with an aim to bring awareness among the farmers to improve livestock breed of various cattle heads as viable alternatives for diversification of agriculture,” he said.
To give a further push to the agriculture sector besides motivating state peasantry to adopt allied farming, the state government has already decided to double the prize money for this championship to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 1.25 crore from this year, said Badal.
Chief Minister said that it was a matter of great pride and satisfaction that farmers from across the country bring livestock in the championship to prove their worth in such a tough competition.
Stressing upon the need to adopt allied sectors in farming, the Chief Minister said that in the present scenario, merely dependence on agriculture was not profitable rather the farm should adopt allied farming in terms of dairy, piggery, goatary to enhance their income substantially.