Chandigarh, Jun 9 (PTI) Area under cotton crop has risen by 20 per cent to 2.98 lakh acres this year in comparison to 2.49 lakh acres witnessed last year, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said on Monday.
Chairing a meeting to review the ongoing kharif season and departmental projects here, Khuddian said Fazilka district leads in cotton cultivation, followed by Mansa, Bathinda, and Sri Muktsar Sahib.
The Punjab government would provide a 33 per cent subsidy on cotton seeds to growers, with over 49,000 farmers having already registered online, he said.
Khuddian directed the chief agriculture officers to ensure all cotton growers complete online registration by June 15.
He expressed satisfaction on the response of the state's farmers towards kharif maize cultivation, with over 54,000 acres already sown in just nine days since sowing commenced on June 1 across the state.
The Punjab government will give an incentive of Rs 17,500 per hectare to farmers for shifting from paddy to kharif maize under a pilot project covering six districts -- Bathinda, Sangrur, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, and Kapurthala.
The project aims to bring 12,000 hectares under kharif maize, promoting agricultural diversification and groundwater conservation.
To facilitate this transition, the state government has appointed 200 'kisan mitras' to guide and encourage farmers.
The minister also reviewed the status of direct seeding of rice (DSR) method for paddy crop, fertiliser availability, and other projects, while directing district agriculture chiefs to ensure quality agricultural inputs to farmers.
