North News
New Delhi, December 28
Punjab’s government has introduced a series of pioneering initiatives aimed at enhancing the prosperity of its agricultural sector and boosting the income of farmers. Among the key measures are the highest-ever sugarcane prices, subsidies for hybrid maize seeds, financial aid for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), free electricity for agricultural pumps, and a push for crop diversification.
Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Punjab’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, highlighted the state’s leadership in the agricultural sector. He announced that Punjab continues to offer the highest price for sugarcane in the country at Rs 401 per quintal for the 2024-25 season, following a Rs 10 increase in the state-agreed price (SAP). This move has already led to a 5,000-hectare increase in sugarcane cultivation for the upcoming season.
In addition, the Punjab government has been providing Rs 1,500 per acre to farmers who adopt Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), a technique designed to conserve groundwater. The response from farmers has been overwhelmingly positive, with 2.53 lakh acres of land cultivated under DSR in the 2024 Kharif season, a 48.8% increase from the previous year. A total of Rs 20.05 crore was disbursed to over 17,000 farmers in 2023.
The state also continues to offer free electricity for tubewells, with a budget allocation of Rs 9,331 crore for 2024-25. Further, the government’s crop diversification efforts have been successful, particularly with Basmati rice. The area under Basmati cultivation has risen by 14%, from 5.96 lakh hectares in 2023 to 6.80 lakh hectares in 2024. A Basmati Extension-Research Centre and a residue testing laboratory are being set up to support international standards for the crop and promote exports.
Maize cultivation has also increased, with a rise from 0.94 lakh hectares in 2023 to 0.98 lakh hectares in 2024. To support this, the state government has provided subsidies of Rs 100 per kg for hybrid maize seeds and allocated Rs 2.30 crore for the purpose. Additionally, farmers in 3,500 hectares of maize exhibitions received inputs like seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides.
The Punjab government has also made significant strides in managing crop residue, providing up to 80% subsidies for group farmers, and 50% subsidies for individuals purchasing Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines. These efforts have reduced the number of paddy stubble fire incidents from 36,663 in 2023 to just 10,909 in 2024, a 70% drop.
