Punjab’s maize subsidy plan to wean farmers off paddy
Punjab aims to diversify farming with subsidies on hybrid kharif maize seeds, offering Rs 100/kg for up to 5 acres or 40 kg per farmer. The initiative targets 4,700 hectares, with financial aid of Rs 6,000/hectare for inputs like fertilizers. To promote sustainable agriculture, the state plans to expand maize cultivation to 2 lakh hectares, emphasizing water conservation. Subsidy payments will be transparently transferred via DBT, encouraging applications through agrimachinerypb.com.
Chandigarh: In a step toward farm diversification, Punjab govt has decided to provide subsidy on hybrid seeds of kharif maize and cover over 4,700 hectares under the crop. Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Sunday that farmers could avail Rs100 as subsidy on purchase of every 1kg hybrid maize seeds certified and recommended by Punjab Agricultural
University (PAU).
Subsidy for hybrid seeds will be provided for a maximum five acres of area or 40 kg per farmer and a total 2,300 quintal seeds will be made available at a subsidised price in the state. He added for the 4,700 hectares, farmers will receive financial support of Rs 6,000 per hectare for various inputs, including fertilisers and insecticides.
In a plan to wean farmers from water-guzzling paddy crop and save groundwater, Khuddian said the state govt has set a target to cultivate kharif maize on a record two lakh hectares, almost double as compared to the last year.
The minister urged farmers to take maximum benefits of the scheme and the subsidy amount will be directly transferred to the beneficiary farmers’ bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to ensure transparency. Interested farmers of Punjab can submit their application on the online portal agrimachinerypb.com to avail subsidy on the hybrid seeds.
Source Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-maize-subsidy-plan-to-wean-farmers-off-paddy/articleshow/111390136.cms
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