Crop diversification: More farmers opt for cotton in Punjab

The cash crop has already been sown over 10 lakh acres and govt hopes to achieve the target of 12.5 lakh acres this season

The Punjab government on Tuesday said its crop diversification programme has received a massive response from farmers with the state nearly accomplishing its goal to bring 12.5 lakh acres of land under cotton cultivation.

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Additional chief secretary (ACS), development, Viswajeet Khanna said the diversification of the cropping pattern away from paddy helps save water improve soil fertility and avoid winter stubble burning, thus preserving and improving the environment in a very substantial way. The state had recorded sowing of cotton over an area of 10 lakh acres so far and the set target would be achieved very soon, he said in a statement. Last year, cotton was sown over 9.7 lakh acres of land.

Khanna said the agriculture department had made timely and adequate arrangement of fertiliser and hybrid seeds of BT Cotton well in advance to ensure seamless sowing of cotton crop across the state amid curfew/lockdown due to Covid-19.

“Bathinda district has recorded maximum sowing of 3.39 lakh acres followed by Fazilka with 2.38 lakh acres and 2.1 lakh acres in Mansa,” he said. The agriculture department has also coordinated with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to buy last season’s remaining cotton produce from farmers at the assured MSP and for this 19 markets have already been made operational in the cotton belt.

The ACS, development, said the department had also started a vigorous campaign to remove weeds (host plants of white fly) from vacant plots, roadside and open grounds. All chief agriculture officers have been directed to complete this task in a mission mode, he said.