CM MANN-LED PUNJAB GOVT CULTIVATES AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION, DRIVES FARMER PROSPERITY & SUSTAINABILITY

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): As the year of 2025 concludes, Punjab's agricultural landscape stands transformed, driven by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led the state government's bold initiatives. The year has been marked by record farmer remuneration, significant strides in crop diversification and a steadfast commitment to sustainable practices, setting a new benchmark for farm prosperity in the state.

 Punjab’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, highlighted the year’s landmark achievements, stating that the government’s resolve to empower farmers is matched by its commitment to ecological sustainability. "Our schemes have driven transformative change, and the record sugarcane price reflects our pledge to reward farmers' hard work," he said.

 In a historic decision, the state government announced the highest State Agreed Price (SAP) for sugarcane in the country at Rs 416 per quintal, an increase of ₹15 from the previous year. This ensures Punjab’s cane growers are the best compensated nationwide.

 A major environmental success has been the 53% reduction in stubble burning incidents during the Kharif season, with cases falling to 5,114 this year from 10,909 in 2024. This achievement is backed by the provision of over 1.58 lakh subsidised Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines to farmers since 2018, with more than 16,000 sanction letters issued this year alone.

 Crop diversification saw robust growth, with the area under cotton expanding by 20% to 1.19 lakh hectares, supported by a 33% subsidy on PAU-recommended BT Cotton seeds. Over 52,000 farmers enrolled online for availing the benefit, showcasing strong confidence in government initiatives.

 The Agriculture Minister informed that the state government’s push for water-saving Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technology, backed by an incentive of Rs 1,500 per acre, witnessed widespread adoption. This year area under this technique expanded by 17%, from 2.53 lakh acres in 2024 to 2.96 lakh acres this year, marking a critical step in Punjab’s journey to preserve its groundwater resources. The area under Basmati rice cultivation witnessed a modest increase, rising to 6.90 lakh hectares this year from 6.81 lakh hectares. This uptick underscores aromatic crop’s reputation as a lucrative option for Punjab's farmers, catering to both domestic and export markets. 

 In a parallel push for crop diversification, the 2025 will be remembered as the year Punjab took concrete steps to break the paddy cycle. A targeted pilot project launched in six districts Bathinda, Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Pathankot, has yielded positive results as over 11000 acres have been switched from paddy to Kharif maize, supported by an incentive of Rs 17,500 per hectare. Supplemental support of Rs10,000 per hectare for inputs under RKVY, along with the provision of subsidised maize seeds at Rs 100 per kg in SAS Nagar and Roopnagar districts, has laid a strong foundation for scalable change.

 S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated, "Our resolve to empower farmers matched our commitment to sustainable agriculture practices. Schemes like cotton seed subsidy, DSR & crop diversification drove transformative change. Record sugarcane price reflects our pledge to reward farmers' hard work. Punjab Govt eyes 2026 with renewed focus on innovation & eco-friendly farming.”