Area under basmati cultivation goes up by 16% this season in Punjab

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Chandigarh, August 18

Punjab has witnessed at least 16 per cent increase in the area under the basmati cultivation this kharif season, said Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Khudian here on Friday, adding that Amritsar district topped the chart with 1.35 lakh hectare area sown with this long-grain rice.

The minister said basmati had been sown in 5.74 lakh hectare area till August 14, of the total paddy area of 31.88 lakh hectares. “During the last season, 4.95 lakh hectares of 31.68 lakh hectares were sown with basmati,” he added.

Khudian said after Amritsar, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka and Tarn Taran had registered maximum cultivation of basmati in 90,000 hectares, 78,800 hectares and 52,000 hectares, respectively.