Cane training camp boosts farmers’ skills in pest control, intercropping

Under the Unnat Krishi Yojana, a two-day farmer training was organised by the Sugarcane Branch of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department in village Mandiala.

Under Cane Commissioner, Punjab Dr Amrik Singh's instructions and under leadership of Project Officer, Jalandhar Dr Mandhir Singh, the training camp saw the participation of Assistant Sugarcane Development Officer, Jalandhar Dr Gurcharan Singh; Director Insect Scientist Dr Yuvraj Singh; Crop Scientist Dr Jashanjot Kaur from Sugarcane Research Center Kapurthala; Dr Anuradha, Principal Scientist PAU Ludhiana; Dr Maninder Singh among others.

Experts gave information about sugarcane farming techniques, pest control, disease management, inter-cropping and various government schemes being run for the welfare of farmers.

Addressing the farmers Dr Gurcharan Singh said by increasing the yield of sugarcane per hectare by the Punjab government, to increase income of sugarcane farmers, exhibition plots were being set up to strengthen the economy of sugarcane farmers in the state. He said the objective of the Krishi Unnati Yojana is to increase grain production, restore soil health, improve farmers' income and enhance nutritional security by providing support for crop production, technology and seeds. Under this scheme, awareness camps and training are also being organised by the Sugarcane Branch of the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.

He said that sugarcane is the fourth cash crop of Punjab after wheat, paddy and cotton, which provides income to sugarcane farmers, despite the adverse effects of weather. He said the government has launched a programme to set up exhibition plots and awareness camps using broad sowing method, intercropping and mulching techniques to increase the productivity of sugarcane per hectare, under which awareness camps and exhibition plots are being set up in the authorised areas of various block mills of Punjab.

Project Officer (Sugarcane) Jalandhar Dr Mandhir Singh said the cultivation of sugarcane crop can be made profitable by increasing the productivity of sugarcane per hectare. He said that for the purpose of increasing the yield per hectare of sugarcane, sugarcane farmers are being encouraged to adopt newer methods.