Farmers urged to grow alternative crops

Kartarpur, September 8

Punjab Horticulture Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh on Friday exhorted farmers to adopt crop diversification in a big way to increase their income.

Presiding over a Kisan Mela organised at the Kartarpur grain market by the Joint Potato Growers Association (JPGA), the Cabinet Ministers said that it was the need of the hour to move away from paddy-wheat cycle and double their income by opting crop diversification on a large scale.

They said that the farmers must go for alternative crops including sugarcane, pulses and vegetables for better productivity and high returns. They said that the crop diversification would not only save the groundwater but also improve soil health.

The Cabinet Ministers said that the government would hold training workshops for farmers about new crop varieties and modern techniques so that they could get better returns.

They said that Punjab had been blessed with fertile land where anything could be produced. They said the government would make efforts to save the fertile land and groundwater.

The ministers encouraged farmers to follow the experts’ advice in farming. They also lauded the JPGA for holding Kisan Mela that aimed at sensitising farmers about the advanced agriculture technologies. The ministers also visited various stalls in the fair.