E-Paper
Punjab govt to provide 33% subsidy on Bt cotton seeds
Basant Garg, administrative secretary of the agriculture department, said that the subsidy programme is limited to a maximum of five acres or ten packets (each weighing 475gm) of cotton seeds per farmer.
Punjab government has decided to provide a 33% subsidy on Bt cotton hybrid seeds recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Saturday.
He said that a sum of ₹20 crore has been allocated for the subsidy programme and would reduce the financial burden on cotton growers, while simultaneously discouraging the cultivation of non-recommended hybrids to enable them to adopt high-yielding and pest-resistant Bt cotton hybrid seeds.
“The agriculture department has fixed a target to increase the cotton crop area to at least 1.25 lakh hectares this year. Cotton, a crucial kharif crop in the southwestern districts of the state, presents a viable alternative to water-guzzling paddy crop, contributing to both agricultural diversification and economic growth,” Khudian said.
Urging the farmers to take advantage of this opportunity and adopt the recommended Bt cotton hybrid seeds, Khudian said: “This subsidy programme is a crucial step towards achieving crop diversification, besides ensuring the prosperity of our cotton industry.”
Basant Garg, administrative secretary of the agriculture department, said that the subsidy programme is limited to a maximum of five acres or ten packets (each weighing 475gm) of cotton seeds per farmer.
He appealed to the farmers to obtain original bills for all Bt cotton seed purchases, while directing the department officials to conduct regular monitoring and inspections to prevent the entry of spurious seeds from neighbouring states.
