Diversification of agriculture is a boon for farmers: DC

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 23

Jalandhar district has emerged as the harbinger of crop diversification with an increase of around 1,000 hectares of land under diversification. As per information, farmers of the district had brought 31,419 hectares of land under crop diversification by sowing potatoes and vine crops.

The total yield of the farmers from these crops was 6.74 lakh metric tones in the year 2017-18. However, encouraged by the yield this year, more farmers had adopted for crop diversification by sowing these crops in 32,787 hectares and the expected yield of crops was 7.20 lakh metric tonnes.

Varinder Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Jalandhar, said this was an encouraging trend as farmers were opting for diversification of agriculture, which was not only good for them but for the state also. The DC said the diversification of agriculture was a boon for farmers in today’s scenario.

Dr Satbir Singh, Deputy Director, Horticulture, said the farmers of the region had been sowing potato seeds which were in huge demand across the country. The vine crops like musk melon, water melon, cucumber, squash melon, summer squash, pumpkin, bitter gourd, sponge gourd, and others, were also sown in large quantity.

He said by doing so the farmers had not only enhanced their income but also carved a niche for themselves in global market.

He said as potato and vine crops were best natural rotational crops for each other so the farmers were being encouraged towards it. He said the increasing trend towards crop diversification was the need of the hour to safeguard the interests of the farmers.