CHANDIGARH: Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Sunday, informed that the crop diversification drive has received a significant boost in the state as Punjab witnessed a notable 12.58% increase in the area dedicated to Basmati cultivation this Kharif season.
The Agriculture Minister mentioned that the cultivation of long-grain rice has expanded to 6.71 lakh hectares currently, a significant increase from the 5.96 lakh hectares planted during the previous Kharif Season 2023-24.
Listing the district-wise statistics of Basmati cultivation, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian highlighted that Amritsar district led the way with 1.46 lakh hectares dedicated to this aromatic rice. Following Amritsar were Muktsar with 1.10 lakh hectares, Fazilka with 84.9 thousand hectares, Tarn Taran with 72.5 thousand hectares, and Sangrur with 49.8 thousand hectares, showcasing maximum Basmati cultivation in these districts.
The Agriculture Minister also highlighted a substantial 46.5% growth in the area under Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) in comparison to the previous year. The area cultivated using the water-saving DSR method has increased to over 2.52 lakh acres, a rise from 1.72 lakh acres in the Kharif season of 2023.
Reiterating Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government's commitment to making agriculture a profitable venture, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the state government has prohibited the use of 10 pesticides on Basmati to enhance the export quality of the aromatic crop to a world-class standard.