Under the flagship scheme of crop diversification, Punjab Government has fixed a target to enhance the maize cultivation area up to 65,000 hectare in this Kharif season.
The Government is sensitising the farmers to opt for maize cultivation instead of water-guzzling paddy crop, said an official spokesperson of the state Agriculture Department.
To encourage the farmers in this direction, the State Government, on one hand, is conducting 6,500 cluster exhibitions to showcase modern machinery and techniques of maize cultivation and on the other hand, 200 farmers training camps are also being conducted throughout the state.
“The State Government has been conducting 6500 cluster exhibitions, in which subsidy or assistance to the farmers for maize cultivation to the tune of Rs 18,62,75,000 would be disbursed. In these exhibitions, farmers would be showcased modern machinery, techniques and Punjab Agriculture University, ludhiana, approved 10 varities of maize seed,” said the spokesperson.
In these exhibitions, the farmers are being provided pesticides like; Atrazine 50 percent WP approximate 80,845 kilogram and Paddy Metheylene 30 percent EC approximately 67,400 litre on subsidized rates. Subsidy to the farmers would be directly credited into their accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode, said the spokesperson.
Besides, the department is also conducting trials of pneumatic plotter cultivation over 8500 acre land and mechanical harvesting (de husking) over an area of 3500 acres.
Spokesperson said that to encourage farmers for maize cultivation, the agriculture department is also conducting 200 farmers training camps. “The approved varieties of maize seed are being provided to the farmers on a subsidy of Rs 84 per kilograms. 1300 MT maize seed would be provided to the farmers,” he said.