To give a major boost to the much-needed agriculture diversification program across the State, Punjab Government has decided to bring five lakh hectares of additional area under Basmati cultivation over a period next three years.
“Under the ambitious program of crop diversification, due emphasis has been laid to double the cultivable area from five to 10 lakh hectares under Basmati during next three years besides focusing on cash crops of oilseeds, pulses, maize, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Balwinder Singh Sidhu.
The move behind the promotion of less water intensive basmati crop was to prevent the further depleting ground water table, which had alarmingly gone down due excessive sowing of paddy.
Highlighting a slew of incentives recently announced by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the promotion of basmati exports from the State to various countries across the globe, Sidhu said that exemption of two per cent RDF, three per cent of Punjab Infrastructure Development Fund and two per cent of Market Fee would entail an extra expenditure to the tune of Rs200 crore annually on the state exchequer.
Seeking wholehearted support and cooperation from the state’s farmers for achieving the target of five lakh hectares under basmati cultivation, Sidhu said that it would not only help the State to promote basmati as an alternate crop to paddy for giving impetus to the push towards second green revolution in the terms of agriculture diversification, but also ensure remunerative returns to the farmers.