State to promote sunflower farming

Tribune News Service

Ambala, August 12

Keeping in mind the depleting water table and to take forward the crop diversification campaign recently launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana government has decided to promote sunflower cultivation in a big way in the agrarian state this season.

Following over 31 per cent increase in minimum support price of sunflower from Rs4,100 per quintal last year to Rs5,388 this year, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has launched a massive drive to increase three-fold the area under sunflower cultivation from 5,000 hectares to 15,000 hectares.

This will result in production of a whopping 27,000 metric tonnes of sunflower against the present 9,500 metric tonnes this season.

Ajit Balaji Joshi, Director General, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said: “The decision of the government to increase the minimum support price fulfils the commitment to the farmers to provide the maximum value return for the cost of production.”