Wheat has been sown over about 38 per cent area of the targeted crop cultivable land in Punjab. Against the target of 87 lakh acres of wheat area, sowing has been completed on 33 lakh acres, Punjab Secretary Agriculture KS Pannu said.
Pannu said the Punjab Government had ensured all the arrangements for sowing of wheat including assured supply of power for irrigation, regular canal water supply and making 4.50 lakh tonnes of DAP fertilizer available to farmers. 2.84 lakh quintals of certified wheat seed was also being given to small and marginal farmers at a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per Quintal.
The sowing of wheat starts from the last week of October and continues till end of November, he said adding that 33 lakh acres which has been already sown is equal to the area sown last year under wheat crop till this day.
Reaffirming the Government commitment to persuade farmers towards balanced use of fertilizers, Pannu shared that a dedicated campaign had also been launched for educating the farmers about the benefits of optimum use of fertilizer under which farmers are being asked not to use more than one bag of DAP in an acre for wheat sowing.
For the first time, about 13,000 direct wheat seeding machines have been deployed to sow wheat without burning the paddy straw and the farmers have been using these machines very enthusiastically, Pannu added.