Ludhiana, Feb 12: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday called on farmers to conduct new experiments in the field of agriculture to supplement their income, as he assured them of his government’s support in their efforts.
Mann was presiding over the first ever ‘Sarkar-Kisan Milni’, a government-farmer interaction at Punjab Agricultural University here, according to an official release.
Speaking at the meet, Mann said the need of the hour is to bail farmers out of the ongoing agrarian crisis.
Due to ever escalating input costs and diminishing returns agriculture is no longer a profitable venture, he pointed out. “Due to this the farmers of the state are on cross roads.” Mann said that the sole motive of holding the interaction is to reduce the gap between decision-makers and stakeholders so that policies are designed as per the needs of the farmers.
Mann called upon the farmers to shun traditional methods of agriculture and adopt ultra-modern techniques to maximise their profit.
He said the state government is already pursuing the matter of MSP on alternative crops with the Centre.
MSP will help in supplementing the income of farmers, and will also help them wean away from stubble burning, he said.
The state government is also laying a major thrust on the food processing sector, and will soon set up processing plants for sugarcane, litchi, garlic, kinnow and other fruits in the state, he said. (PTI)
