Min: Pb discouraging water-guzzler spring maize to save grou ..
Chandigarh: Punjab government is discouraging sowing of the high-yield, water-guzzler spring maize to save the state’s groundwater as the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, does not promote the crop because of its excessive water intake. Agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Gurmeet Singh
Khudian made this statement in the Punjab assembly on the concluding day of the budget session on Tuesday while replying to a calling attention notice moved by Rana Inder Partap Singh, independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi.
The cabinet minister said the farmers plant spring maize in February and March, and it is becoming popular due to its higher economics. The area under the spring maize, which is mainly grown in
Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts, has
When the Sultanpur Lodhi MLA raised the issue of nonavailability of maize seed because of hoarding, the
agriculture minister assured strict action against hoarders as well as availability of improved and hybrid varieties of the kharif maize seed to farmers based on PAU’s research. The MLA highlighted that the maize seed which used to be available for Rs 1,900 per packet (generally 4kg) is now being provided at Rs 2,700 per packet.
The independent MLA also asked whether the state government or the PAU has undertaken a specific study that shows that the spring maize consumes more water or humidity to grow.
