Mann government stands firmly with farmers

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Punjab Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has consistently taken decisions aimed at safeguarding the interests of farmers, and the Mann government continues to work tirelessly to ensure prosperity for the farming community across the state. With a focus on increasing farmers' income, the government is actively promoting crop diversification, which has started yielding encouraging results.

Last year, the state's efforts in crop diversification witnessed significant success, with cotton cultivation in Punjab registering an increase of nearly 20 percent. According to official data, cotton was cultivated on 2.49 lakh acres last year, which has risen to 2.98 lakh acres this year, reflecting an expansion of more than 49,000 acres.

Under the government's initiative to promote the water-saving Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique, farmers have been provided an incentive of per acre. The adoption of this technology has grown rapidly, with the area under DSR increasing by 17 percent — from 2.53 lakh acres in 2024 to 2.96 lakh acres this year — marking a major step towards conserving Punjab's fast-depleting groundwater.

Basmati rice cultivation has also seen a marginal rise, increasing from 6.81 lakh hectares last year to 6.90 lakh hectares this year. This growth highlights the crop's profitability and strong demand in both domestic and international markets.

In a rare initiative, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann personally flagged off seven trucks carrying wheat seeds to flood-affected districts of the state. The government is providing two lakh quintals of wheat seeds, worth crore, completely free of cost to farmers. The Chief Minister said these trucks carry not just seeds, but renewed hope for thousands of farming families.

The Punjab government has also implemented the landmark policy "He who owns the land, owns the sand," which has directly benefited farmers and is now gaining attention even beyond Punjab, influencing political discussions in neighbouring Haryana as well.