The Punjab Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is boosting the horticulture and food processing sectors in order to make horticulture, a profitable venture, bring in crop diversification and increase farmers’ income.
This would lead to employment avenues at doorsteps for the youth. This was disclosed by the Horticulture and Food Processing Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra while visiting an exhibition of flowers at village Niyamatpura in Malerkotla District.
The Minister said that a sum of Rs. 253 crore has been provisioned in the budget of 2023-24 (FY) for encouraging horticulture and 5 horticulture estates are being developed at Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Bathinda and Faridkot at a cost of Rs. 40 crore.
Under the agriculture infrastructure fund scheme chalked out for business projects related to horticulture, Rs. 2500 crore worth projects have been received. In order to financially help the people engaged in flower cultivation besides boosting the seed production, making good the deficiency of storage labourers, sowing and harvesting of the seeds, an assistance of Rs. 35000 Per Hectare is being given in respect of 2.5 acres land holding.
Also, under the Bhav Antar Bhugtan Yojna, 5 vegetables such as Potato, Peas, Chillies, Tomato and Cabbage are being covered so as to ensure that the farmers get fair price of their produce, added Jauramajra.
On the occasion, MLA Amargarh Prof. Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, MLA Malerkotla Dr. Jameel ur Rahman, MLA Nabha Gurdev Singh Mann, and Director Horticulture Shailinder Kaur were also present. They all thanked the Minister.