Crop Diversification Archives

28 Sep

Haryana Govt Rolls Out Major Subsidies to Boost Horticulture and Farmer Income

Balwinder Singh0 CommentsHaryanaAgriculture, Crop Diversification, Farmer Subsidies, Haryana, Horticulture, Hortnet, Meri Fasal

Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh) — In a significant move aimed at promoting crop diversification and enhancing agricultural earnings across the state, the Haryana government has implemented a comprehensive financial assistance scheme for farmers cultivating horticulture crops. Under the initiative titled 'Subsidy Provision for Cultivation of Horticulture Crops', growers will receive substantial subsidies for cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, and aromatic plants, an official spokesperson for the Haryana Horticulture Department announced on Monday. The department has established clear acreage limits and subsidy slabs to ensure broad access. Farmers establishing new fruit orchards or cultivating spices can avail of assistance for up to…

18 Sep

Punjab Committed to Modern Agriculture and Safeguarding Farmers’ Interests, Says CM Bhagwant Mann

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAgriculture, Bhagwant Mann, canal irrigation, Crop Diversification, Kisan Mela, KMS 2026, PAU, Punjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to protecting farmers’ interests and making agriculture a modern and profitable profession, while underlining that Punjab’s precious water resources cannot be compromised. During farmers at the Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University, he highlighted the expansion of canal irrigation to 88%, the laying of 14,000 km of underground pipelines, with another 7,000 km planned by year-end, and the resulting improvement in groundwater levels. The Chief Minister said the government is strengthening PAU’s seed research, investing ₹1,300 crore in horticulture and ensuring ₹416 per quintal, the country’s…

02 Sep

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Approves Rs 1,300-Crore Horticulture Project with JICA Backing to Quadruple Cropping Area by 2036

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Crop Diversification, farm income, JICA project, PAU Ludhiana, Punjab horticulture

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a major initiative to give a fresh impetus to crop diversification and strengthen Punjab’s horticulture sector, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday approved the setting up of a Horticulture Knowledge Centre at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The move forms part of a ₹1,300-crore project aimed at expanding high-value horticulture, strengthening the sector’s value chain and boosting farmers’ income, with Punjab setting an ambitious target of increasing the horticulture area to 16 lakh hectares by 2036. Chairing a meeting to review the Horticulture Department, CM Bhagwant…

21 Aug

Haryana to Launch Rs 5,714 Crore ‘Water Secure Haryana’ Programme with World Bank Support

Balwinder Singh0 CommentsHaryanaCrop Diversification, DSR, Shyam Singh Rana, Water Secure Haryana, Waterlogging, World Bank

Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): The Haryana government will implement the "Water Secure Haryana" programme to strengthen long-term water security and promote sustainable, climate-smart agricultural practices across the state, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana announced on Friday. Presiding over a departmental review meeting in Chandigarh alongside senior agricultural officials, the minister outlined a comprehensive framework aimed at reclaiming degraded farmland, enhancing water efficiency, and raising farmers' incomes by reducing the acreage under water-intensive crops. The initiative focuses on reclaiming waterlogged and saline-affected agricultural land through sub-surface and vertical drainage systems, alongside promoting crop diversification and modern water-saving techniques. Under…

02 Jun

Punjab Overhauls 26-Year-Old KCC Framework to Tackle Rural Debt, Boost High-Value Crops

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabagricultural reform, Bhagwant Singh Mann, Crop Diversification, digital banking, Kisan Credit Card, Punjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In one of the most far-reaching agricultural reforms undertaken in Punjab in recent decades, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) system, transforming a 26-year-old framework that had long left farmers dependent on inadequate institutional credit and vulnerable to private moneylenders. The revamped policy significantly raises crop-wise credit limits in line with actual cultivation costs, lowers interest burdens, expands loan eligibility to high-value crops and allied sectors, introduces dedicated financial support for stubble management, and enables farmers to access funds through modern digital platforms such as ATMs…

13 May

Punjab and Centre Forge Strategic Alliance to Resolve Fertilizer Shortage and Groundwater Depletion

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Crop Diversification, Fertiliser supply, Groundwater Conservation, Punjab farmers

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday called upon Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sought his intervention for the de-notification of certain hybrid paddy seeds to ensure smooth procurement and lifting operations in Punjab during the forthcoming Kharif season, while raising a series of critical issues concerning the state’s farmers before the Centre. During the crucial meeting in Delhi, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann secured assurances on uninterrupted fertilizer supply and groundwater conservation, demanded Punjab’s representation in the Central Seed Committee, and pressed for wheat seed subsidy allocation for 2026-27. Emphasising that Punjab’s farmers…

13 May

Union Agriculture Minister and Punjab CM Agree on Collaborative Crop Diversification Strategy

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Crop Diversification, Farmer issues, New Delhi, Punjab Agriculture, Shivraj Chouhan

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss a wide range of agricultural issues, with a primary focus on the urgent need for crop diversification. During the high-level meeting, both leaders explored strategies to transition the province away from its heavy reliance on wheat and paddy cultivation, a cycle that has long raised concerns regarding sustainability and resource management. Chouhan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Punjab Chief Minister and commended the province's historical resilience, noting that Punjab has always been the first to…

14 Sep

Haryana to Launch ‘Seva Pakhwada’ to Empower Farmers and Promote Natural Farming

Balwinder Singh0 CommentsHaryanaCrop Diversification, Haryana Seva Pakhwada 2024, Natural farming, Shyam Singh Rana

Chandigarh, September 14 – Haryana’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana announced that the state will observe Seva Pakhwada from September 17 to October 2. During this period, the Agriculture, Horticulture, and Fisheries Departments will jointly organize awareness programs to inform farmers about welfare schemes and encourage natural farming.The minister, who chaired a review meeting with departmental officers in Chandigarh today, said the fortnight-long campaign beginning on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and concluding on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary will serve as a major medium to connect government schemes directly with farmers.Rana instructed officials to turn the campaign…

26 Mar

Punjab Budget 2025-26: A Big Push for Agriculture, But Will It Be Enough?

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAgriculture, Crop Diversification, Power Subsidy, Punjab Budget 2025-26

Chandigarh, March 26, 2025: The Punjab government’s 2025-26 budget has earmarked ₹14,524 crore for agriculture and allied sectors, aiming to boost crop diversification, provide power subsidies, and introduce new initiatives for farmers. However, the big question remains—will these measures be enough to address Punjab’s long-standing agricultural challenges?One of the key highlights is the ₹500 crore allocation for crop residue management, a step towards controlling stubble burning, which has been a major environmental concern. The government is also focusing on crop diversification with a new scheme in Bathinda, Kapurthala, and Gurdaspur to encourage maize cultivation in the Kharif season. Farmers switching…

21 Mar

Haryana first state in country where maximum crops are purchased on MSP: Shyam Singh Rana

Balwinder Singh0 CommentsHaryanaCrop Diversification, Farmers' Income, Haryana MSP procurement, mustard purchase, Natural farming

Chandigarh, March 21, 2025: Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana said Haryana is the first state in the country where maximum crops are being purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP).He said this on the occasion of the launch of mustard procurement at the Radaur grain market in Yamunanagar district. This year, mustard is being purchased at the minimum support price of Rs 5950 per quintal.The Agriculture Minister interacted with the commission agents in the grain market and took stock of mustard lifting, packaging availability and other problems.He told the commission agents that if they have any kind of…