In a bid to boost the ongoing crop persification program in the state, for bailing out the distressed peasantry from the prevailing agrarian crisis, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal has given nod for providing the High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of Maize seeds to the farmers at subsidized rates during the current Kharif season.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the file pertaining to a proposal of the Agriculture department regarding this has been recently cleared by the Chief Minister. The spokesperson further said that after through research and a detailed exercise the state government in collaboration with the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) has carefully selected three HYV Maize seeds varieties, which have produced a yield of 8.5 ton per hectare during the university trials. Subsequently, the HYV seeds of M/s Monsanto, M/s Pioneer and M/s Shri Ram have been chosen by the state government for providing them to the farmers at the subsidized rates, so that they could be motivated sow Maize under the crop persification program.
As per the decision, the state government would give subsidy worth Rs 87.50 per kg on these hybrid seeds to the farmers as a result of which they HYV seeds would be made available to the farmers at a rate ranging from Rs 87.50 per kg to Rs 112.50 per kg after subsidy. In order to ensure the easy availability of these hybrid seeds the state government has decided to make these seeds available at all the block level offices of the Agriculture department from where the farmers could easily avail them along with the proper bills. In the same manner the state government has also directed the three shortlisted companies to provide all the relevant technical support to the farmers for sowing the seeds for their better results.Pertinently, HYV Maize has been identified as a major alternative crop under the ambitious program of crop persification in the state. Realizing well the huge potential of this crop to reduce the area under water glutting paddy crop, the state government has set a target of sowing HYV of Maize over an area of five lakh acres during this Kharif season.