Punjab promotes Kisan-Khet schools to motivate its farmers

In an initiative aimed at motivating farmers to take up the production of export quality Basmati rice crop, the Punjab Agriculture Department has opened Kisan-Khet schools under a crop diversification programme here.

By Ravinder Singh

Jalandhar, Aug 17 : In an initiative aimed at motivating farmers to take up the production of export quality Basmati rice crop, the Punjab Agriculture Department has opened Kisan-Khet schools under a crop diversification programme here.

The agricultural department has been educating farmers on the production of Basmati and the protection technology of guarding against insects, pests and diseases. "Basmati has good export value. The rice we export is expensive and we have to maintain its quality. To maintain the quality, farmers have to be careful in using pesticides and fertilizers. So, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is very important for the production of Basmati rice," said Suttantar Kumar Aery, Chief Agricultural Officer, Jalandhar.

The Majha and Doaba regions are regarded as the rice bowl of Punjab. World-famous for producing the finest quality of basmati, the excellence of this variety comes from an unrivalled climate.

Farmers eagerly attend these specially organized classes in the hope of increasing their income through better production methods. "Some farmers follow their own methods, but only a few ignore what scientists advise them and they continue with the customary methods. Sticking to the old methods are not always beneficial, while adopting modern methods can pay rich dividends," said Talwinder Singh, a farmer. Various agricultural experts have been roped in to provide tips and information to farmers at the specially opened "Kisan Khet Schools"."New techniques can only be taught through education. The world is changing fast and if we are not educated we will lag behind. The trend these days is to produce more at a cheaper rate," said Ranjit Singh, another farmer.

Farmers are not only informed about how the new Basmati crop can be doubled, but are also given live demonstrations about equipments to be used for Basmati cultivation.

At present, the scheme is limited to only few villages.

The agriculture department in association with IPM Centre will run the programme for 14 weeks. alandhar, Phillaur and Nakodar blocks have been selected for Basmati cultivation under the scheme.

India has the largest area under rice cultivation in the world. Punjab accounts for ten per cent of all rice produced in the country

India is the largest producer and exporter of basmati rice in the world. The annual production in the country is around 10-15 lakh tons a year. Grown exclusively in the northern part of Western Punjab, the state has a major task in keeping up its leading role. Expectations are high from the farming community as well the production units to serve Aromatic rices with a light and fluffy texture.

ANI