Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has been making consistent efforts to bail out the farmers from the vicious circle of Wheat and Paddy cultivation by promoting the cultivation of alternate crops. Under this dedicated programme farmers have been proving the latest knowhow of sate of the art techniques and technology for the cultivation of these alternate crops.
Disclosing this official spokesperson of the Agriculture Department said that this Crop Diversification Programme is being implemented in the State since 2013-14. He said that the primary objective of the programme is to demonstrate and promote the production technologies of alternate crops for diversion of paddy cultivation. Working in this direction Cluster Demonstrations of alternate crops viz. maize, cotton, poplar and eucalyptus are being laid in farmer’s field. He said that financial assistance on farm implements like seed drills, spray pumps, planters, rotavators, threshers, maize shellers, post harvest machinery etc has also been provided for promotion of alternate crops.
The spokesperson further said that the site specific interventions have been taken up like excavation of ponds for aquaculture in water logged soils, laying of underground pipeline system for improving irrigation efficiency, soils fertility management through green manuring by supply of dhaincha seed and nutrient management by collection and analysis of soil samples etc. He said that apart from this, exposure visits, awareness visits and awareness through print and electronic media have also been adopted.