CM takes major steps and revolutionary measures to boost farmers’ income

Punjab E News: At a time when the central government faces challenges in building consensus with farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann continues to take significant steps to increase farmers’ income.

The Mann-led government is working to make horticulture a profitable venture, encouraging crop diversification and raising incomes. This initiative also opens up employment opportunities for young people, with the government actively working to safeguard existing jobs.

The state has begun establishing horticulture estates in five districts, with the first phase covering Ludhiana, Faridkot, Patiala, Bastar, and Gurdaspur. The government has allocated budgets for three of these estates, which have now been set up to help farmers increase their income steadily.

In addition, the Punjab government is doubling the area under horticulture through horticultural excellence centers, aiming to increase farmers’ incomes and encourage crop diversity.

Under the agricultural infrastructure fund, 2,500 crore INR has been approved for horticulture-related projects. Farmers are also receiving financial assistance for flower production, seed enhancement, storage solutions, and mechanized farming, with a subsidy of 35,000 INR per hectare for 2.5 acres.

Four key crops—potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage—have been brought under a differential payment scheme to ensure fair prices for farmers.
Horticulture estates also feature incubation and custom hiring centers, equipped with essential machinery such as tractors, rotavators, sprayers, and fertilizer spreaders, available along with skilled operators.

Experts indicate that this shift aims to reduce farmers’ dependence on water-intensive wheat and paddy cycles. While wheat and paddy crops consume around 40 to 64 million liters of water per acre, horticultural crops require only 17 million liters per acre, potentially saving up to 86 million liters of water per acre.