by Punjabnewswire4u
CHANDIGARH, OCT 1
In a path breaking initiative aimed at motivating the
farmers to shun the traditional sowing of paddy and replace it by Maize as an
alternate crop under state’s ambitious crop diversification program, the Punjab
Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today gave nod for enacting ‘Contract
Farming Act’ to ensure better remunerative prices to the beleaguered peasantry
at their doorsteps.
Presiding over a high level meeting for the promotion of
Agriculture diversification in the state, the Chief Minister gave go ahead for
the enactment of this act which would be instrumental in the ‘Farm gate
purchase’ thereby enormously benefitting both the maize growers and the
prospective Maize processing entrepreneurs. Mr Badal hoped that this act would
facilitate the farmers by supplementing their income coupled with assured
marketing mechanism on one hand and ensure high quality produce for processing
in terms of value addition by the keen private entrepreneurs on the other. The
Chief Minister asked the officers of the Agriculture department to immediately
finalize the modalities to notify Maize for the contract farming so that
paradigm shift of maize cultivation from paddy could be ensured without any
further delay.
Highlighting the significance of direct marketing of
agriculture produce especially the Maize, Mr Badal directed the Agriculture
department to immediately effect necessary amendments in the Agriculture
Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, which would go a long way in
strengthening the agricultural economy thereby improving the economic lot of
our farmers. The Chief Minister also directed the officers of the Agriculture
department to provide subsidized high yield quality seeds, weedicides and
pesticides so that the production of Maize crop in the state could be increased
manifold. Mr Badal underscored the need to provide 25% subsidy on the highly
mechanized agricultural inputs used for Maize cultivation so that the majority
of farmers could be diverted from the paddy cultivation in order to ease out
the pressure on our precious natural resources in terms of micro nutrients of
soil besides depleting ground water. To propel the hassle free and prompt
marketing of maize, Mr Badal deputed the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation
as the nodal agency for ensuring scientific storage facilities besides asking
the Agriculture department for installation of ultra modern Maize dryers in the
designated markets.
Mr Badal also emphasized on the need to encourage cotton
and sugarcane cultivation in the state so as to provide relief to the
distressed peasantry of the state. To further intensify the efforts of
diversification in the state, the Chief Minister also asked the Agriculture
department to station Joint Directors at Bathinda and Hoshiarpur permanently,
for making concerted efforts to promote the cultivation of cotton and Maize
crops respectively in the adjoining areas of these districts. He also directed the Agriculture department
to establish Directorate of Pulses in the state for motivating the farmers for
cultivating pulses in a big way to immensely benefit them as a part of crop
diversification program. In order to popularize the concept of Agro-forestry in
the state, the Chief Minister said that a world class State Forest Research and
Extension Centre would be established which would conduct extensive research on
prospects of Agro-forestry in Punjab besides imparting technical knowhow to the
farmers for the planting of trees like poplar on scientific lines.
Outlining the paramount importance of allied activities
in farming sector, the Chief Minister said that it was a high time when our
farmers should be motivated to take up Pig farming and Goat rearing in the
state to supplement their income due to low returns from conventional
agriculture in wake of steep hike in the farming inputs. To achieve this
objective, the Chief Minister directed the animal Husbandry Department to
appoint specialized Piggery and Goat development officers. He announced that
two Dairy training and Extension centers would come up at Patiala and Dhaliwal in Gurdapur district at
cost of Rs 10 crore for imparting scientific training to the Dairy farmers so
as to enhance their income. Mr Badal also said that in order to facilitate the
Dairy farmers ‘Dairy Service Centers’ on the lines of Agro Service Centers
would soon come up across the state to enable them to use the ultra modern
equipments on custom hiring basis.
Realizing the huge potential of Fish farming in the state
which was credited with highest fish production in the country, the Chief
Minister asked Animal Husbandry department, GADVASU and Fishery department to
chalk out a detailed action program to tap the unutilized and underutilized
potential of fishery in the state especially in the waterlogged areas in Malwa
belt. Mr Badal envisioned the growth of fish farming as a catalyst to boost the
income of the farmers which had now been almost stagnated owing to saturation in
agriculture.
Prominent amongst who attended the meeting included MLA
Mr Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, Chairman Punjab Farmers’ Commission Dr GS Kalkat,
Financial Commissioner Development Mr GS Sandhu, Financial Commissioner
Co-operation Mr Vishwajeet Khanna, Special Principal Secretaries to the Chief
Minister Mr Gaggandip Singh Brar and Mr KJS Cheema, MD Markfed Mr Dr Karamjeet
Singh Sra, Advisor Agriculture and MD Milkfed Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu,
Director Punjab Agriculture Marketing Board Mr Mohinder Singh Kainth and
Director Agriculture Mr Mangal Singh Dhillon 
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