Punjab Government to setup five more Maize Dryer Units in the state to promote Maize as an alternative crop in place of paddy and to check the depletion and contamination of ground water. These Five units would be setup with cost of Rs 26 Crore for which central government has given its approval for the funds.The Agriculture Minister of Punjab Jathedar Tota Singh disclosing this here today said that these five new units would be installed at Machiwara, Nakoder, Kapurthala, Bhogpur and Phaglana (Hoshiarpur) to facilitate farmers. The Minister also said that the Punjab Government has already installed two maize dryer plants one each at Hoshiarpur & Nawan Sehar districts with the cost of Rs 18 Crore to dry maize according to the international parameters.
Agriculture Minister demanded that Union Government should fix Rs. 1815 per quintal MSP of maize to develop Maize as an alternate crop in place of paddy in the state at the earliest. He also demanded 100 per cent procurement of maize by the Union Government on MSP.Dr. Mangal Singh Director Agriculture Department, Punjab further elaborating on the persification programme being carried out by the department said that area under maize crop has registered double-fold increase this year against last year giving a much needed push to persification. He also appealed to the farmers to actively participate in the Agriculture camps organized by the department to get used to the new technologies in the Agriculture field.