Punjab Cultivates Prosperity with Groundbreaking Agricultural Initiatives
Sustainable Farming, Financial Support, and Crop Diversification Boosted in Punjab
Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has introduced a series of pioneering initiatives aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector’s growth and improving the livelihoods of farmers. These transformative measures are designed to encourage innovation, sustainability, and long-term prosperity in farming communities across the state.
To support the sugarcane industry, the Punjab Government has raised the price for sugarcane to Rs. 401 per quintal, the highest in the country, for the 2024-25 crushing season. This increase follows the successful completion of payments to cooperative sugar mills for the 2023-24 crushing year. As a result, the area under sugarcane cultivation is set to expand by 5,000 hectares this season.
A key focus of the government’s agricultural reforms is sustainability. As part of this effort, the state is providing financial support to farmers adopting the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) method, offering Rs. 1,500 per acre to promote groundwater conservation. Farmers have responded positively, with a 48.8% increase in DSR cultivation during the Kharif season of 2024. In total, Rs. 20.05 crore was disbursed to 17,112 farmers in 2023.
The Punjab Government is also continuing its support for farmers by providing free electricity for agricultural tubewells, with a budget allocation of Rs. 9,331 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year. This initiative ensures that farmers can access the resources they need to sustain their operations without additional financial burden.
Crop diversification efforts have seen encouraging results, including a 14% increase in Basmati cultivation, which now spans 6.80 lakh hectares. To further enhance the quality of Basmati, the government has implemented a ban on 10 pesticides and is collaborating with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to set up a Basmati Extension-Research Centre and residue testing laboratory. These efforts are aimed at boosting exports and improving the quality of Punjab’s agricultural products.
In addition, the state is promoting the growth of hybrid maize cultivation, with an increase in acreage from 0.94 lakh hectares in 2023 to 0.98 lakh hectares in 2024. The government is providing Rs. 100 per kg subsidies for hybrid maize seeds and has allocated Rs. 2.30 crore for this purpose. Maize exhibitions have been set up to offer further support to farmers, covering 3,500 hectares with financial assistance for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.
As part of the Punjab Government’s commitment to promoting sustainable farming practices, a significant effort has been made to combat paddy stubble burning. The state is providing an 80% subsidy for the purchase of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines to farmer groups, gram panchayats, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and a 50% subsidy to individual farmers. As a result, 16,000 CRM machines have been distributed in the 2024-25 fiscal year, helping reduce stubble burning incidents by 70%, from 36,663 cases in 2023 to just 10,909 in 2024.
These forward-thinking policies are laying the groundwork for a prosperous and sustainable future for Punjab’s agricultural sector, enhancing farmer incomes and strengthening the state’s position as a leader in agricultural innovation.