Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
India

Punjab announces cotton mechanisation programme

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 05 May, 2014 04:33 PM
    The Punjab government Monday announced that a "Cotton Mechanisation Programme" would be introduced in the cotton-producing Malwa belt of south-west Punjab.
     
    It will give a boost to crop diversification in the state and maximise profit of cotton cultivators.
     
    Under the programme, okayed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, pneumatic planters, cotton picking machines and high yielding varieties of seeds would be introduced. A "Centre of Excellence of Cotton" would also be set up in Bathinda, a spokesman of the chief minister's office said here.
     
    "The project primarily aims at maximising the profit of the cotton cultivators, reducing the input cost by overcoming the problem of expensive labour and bringing down the process of cotton cultivation to pave way for high yield of wheat crop," he said.
     
    Under the ambitious programme, the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) and the state agriculture department will work with agro companies like John Deer, Bayer India and others. They will conduct adaptive trails on 1,500 acres of land in villages near Malout of Muktsar district by practicing high density cotton cultivation, in which seven packets of cotton seeds were sown instead of existing two over one acre of land.
     
    Farmers will be given equipment for sowing and chemicals by private companies free of cost.
     
    "To encourage the farmers for adopting high density cotton cultivation, the state government would provide a subsidy of Rs.4,000 per acre to the farmers under the programme," he said.
     
    Punjab farmers mostly do wheat-paddy cycle farming. The state is the biggest contributor of foodgrains to the central kitty.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Rajiv killing conspirators not to be free for now, kin dismayed

    Rajiv killing conspirators not to be free for now, kin dismayed
    The Supreme Court Friday said that the seven conspirators in the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination will not be released for now, a ruling that left the mother of one of the convicts disappointed.

    Rajiv killing conspirators not to be free for now, kin dismayed

    US court asks Sikh group to summon Manmohan Singh by June 18

    US court asks Sikh group to summon Manmohan Singh by June 18
    A US court has asked a Sikh group to serve summons on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by June 18 or face dismissal of a case of alleged violation of human rights during his tenure.

    US court asks Sikh group to summon Manmohan Singh by June 18

    Amarnath Yatra to begin June 28

    Amarnath Yatra to begin June 28
    The annual yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district will start on June 28, it was announced Thursday.

    Amarnath Yatra to begin June 28

    Modi, Kejriwal, Arundhati Roy among Time's 100 influential people

    Modi, Kejriwal, Arundhati Roy among Time's 100 influential people
    Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal have made it to Time 100 list of the world's most influential people along with Indian novelist Arundhati Roy.

    Modi, Kejriwal, Arundhati Roy among Time's 100 influential people

    SC entrusts Padmanabhaswamy temple to five-member committee

    SC entrusts Padmanabhaswamy temple to five-member committee
    The Supreme Court Thursday entrusted the administration of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala to a five-member committee headed by the district judge of Thiruvananthapuram.

    SC entrusts Padmanabhaswamy temple to five-member committee

    110 million vote in India, BJP says it's 'Modi tsunami'

    110 million vote in India, BJP says it's 'Modi tsunami'
    Nearly 110 million people peacefully voted Thursday in 117 Lok Sabha constituencies in 12 states in a staggered election that will see three more rounds to decide who gets to govern India the next five years.

    110 million vote in India, BJP says it's 'Modi tsunami'