Basmati rice cultivation witnesses 16 percent increase in Punjab
Basmati rice cultivation witnesses 16 percent increase in Punjab
Chandigarh
The area under Basmati rice cultivation has witnessed a 16 percent increase in Punjab in the current Kharif season, State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said.
Khudian said the increase was the result of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government’s campaign to promote crop diversification.
“Amritsar district tops the chart with 1.35 lakh hectares area sown under this long-grain rice,” Khudian added.
In a statement, the Minister said Basmati rice has been sown at 5.74 lakh hectares till 14 August in the ongoing Kharif Season.
This is out of the total paddy area of 31.88 lakh hectares.
“In Kharif Season, the total area sown under Paddy was 31.68 lakh hectares. Out of this area under Basmati was 4.95 lakh hectares,” he added.
Khudian said Amritsar is followed by Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka and Tarn Taran registered maximum Basmati cultivation.
Sri Muktsar Sahib recorded cultivation in 90,000 hectares, Fazilka 78,800 hectares and Tarn Taran 52,000 hectares.
Amritsar has registered an increase of 24,000 hectares, 21,500 and 18,000 hectares in Sri Muktsar Sahib and Gurdaspur districts respectively.
He reiterated the commitment of CM Mann-led government to make agriculture a profitable venture.
“The surge has been witnessed in Basmati cultivation as CM Mann had assured of protecting farmers from losses,” he added.
