In a bid to ensure agriculture inputs quality control and further ramp-up the agricultural infrastructure in the state, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Friday, inaugurated the state’s first bio-fertiliser quality control laboratory in Bathinda and laid foundation stone of a seed testing laboratory at Kheti Bhawan on Dabwali Road.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated that the bio-fertiliser lab, established at a cost of ₹1.5 crore, has the capacity to test at least 1,000 samples annually. The facility is critical as Punjab farmers are shifting from chemical fertilisers to bio-fertilisers, and it will help them ascertain the quality of products available in the market.
He said that Rs 2-crore seed testing laboratory will enable scientific quality checks and ensure farmers get certified seed. Along with the bio-fertiliser quality control lab, it will enforce strict standards for farm inputs and curb the sale of spurious products.
“The labs will end farmers’ ordeal of sending samples to other states for testing. The entire process will now be completed in Punjab itself, saving both time and money,” stated the Agriculture Minister, while adding that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government is committed to providing farmers with high-quality seeds, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
Director Agriculture Dr Gurjit Singh Brar said the two laboratories would significantly strengthen the department’s technical capacity and ensure timely, reliable testing of seed and bio-fertilisers. In-house testing would help enforce quality standards, reduce result delays and enable farmers to make informed choices before sowing, he added.
MLAs Jagroop Singh Gill and Master Jagsir Singh, Joint Director (plant protection) Narendra Pal Singh Benipal and other senior officials of Agriculture department were also present on the occasion.