All set to boost poplar cultivation in the State, Punjab Forest Department has decided to provide free saplings to the farmers.
Announcing a new scheme to encourage popular plantation in the State to motivate farmers to go for crop diversification, the state Forest Minister Chunni lal Bhagat said: “It has been decided to provide free saplings of popular to the farmers to bring maximum farmers under the ambit of this scheme.” To begin with, the department has identified Doaba, Majha and Bisat regions to encourage the farmers for poplar plantation as ecologically “these areas are most suitable to these plants”.
“Besides, the land covered under poplar plantation would also be exempted from all forest laws and farmers would remain the sole owner of produced wood with the assistance of forest department,” said the Minister. He added, “To ensure zero loss in cash crop production, the department would also facilitate the farmers with technical advice for inter-cropping during first three years.”