Agriculture machinery and equipment’s on subsidized rates distributed to farmers for crop diversification.
Sh. Chaman Lal said that during this season cultivation of wheat will be done on 51000 acre area as such, 50500 acre area stands cultivated. He said that to facilitate the farmers for cultivation relevant arrangements for 7500 Metric Tonn of DIA and 28511 Metric Tonn of Urea has been ensured. He said that 52 village level training camps has been organised in the district to generate awareness regarding adoption of crop diversification rather than traditional crops. Besides this farmers should adopt agriculture allied occupations. Sh. Lal said that during last season under crop diversification program 500 quintal hybrid maize seed on 50% subsidized rates was distributed to the farmers and farmers were motivated to cultivate maximum area under Maize crop which in turn has resulted in to cultivation of maize crop over 700 hectare area. Besides this agriculture machinery and equipment worth Rs. 2 crore were provided to farmers on 50% subsidized rates.
Technical Assistant office of Agriculture Department SAS Nagar said that department along with Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana has provided free consultation to farmers for crop diversification, crop protection, use of pesticides and other technical information, so that they could gain more profit with less expenditure. He said that to ensure judicial use of manure and urea, 5000 soil samples will be tested and 1250 samples has been tested so far. This testing of soil samples is being done free of cost. Farmers have been made aware about the soil testing to reduce their expenses on manure and urea. He said that all officials of the department have been asked to conduct soil testing at their level and generate awareness for the same among farmers. He further said that soil health cards have been issued to 1200 farmers in the district. Agriculture department has procured deep sub-soiler so that cultivation in hard soil could be done with ease.