Farmers attend kisan mela

Patiala, September 16

Rakhra Kisan Mela organised by the Punjab Young Farmers Association at ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute Collaborative Outstation Research Centre in Rakhra village here attracted a large number of farmers from all over the state and neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan on Saturday.

Inaugurating the mela, Agriculture Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu said to control stubble burning the government had made super straw management system (SMS) mandatory with self-propelled combine harvesters. He told the farmers that the system would check air pollution and they would not be required to put paddy straw on fire under this system of harvesting.

PSPCL Chairman Baldev Singh Sran said water crisis in Punjab was becoming serious as water in dams had gone down. The association also announced unique programme of promoting qualified sons of farmers to settle them in the farming profession by offering them incentives. — TNS