Thurs Aug 7,
The minister also directed the field officials to ensure completion of direct seeding of rice (DSR) field verification by August 10, so that an incentive of ₹1,500 per acre can be directly transferred into the bank accounts of the eligible farmers.
Punjab agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday ordered the chief agriculture officers (CAOs) in the cotton belt to submit bi-weekly reports on the progress and condition of the ‘white gold’ crop. The minister also directed the field officials to ensure completion of direct seeding of rice (DSR) field verification by August 10, so that an incentive of ₹1,500 per acre can be directly transferred into the bank accounts of the eligible farmers.
These directions were issued during a high-level video conference meeting with the CAOs and senior officials of the department, on Wednesday. The minister also directed CAOs to regularly visit cotton fields to monitor and manage pest attacks, including pink bollworm, whitefly, jassid, thrips and other insects. He also asked them to inspect paddy fields for the rice dwarf virus and guide the farmers on effective management and control measures to mitigate its impact.
Expressing concern over rainwater-logged fields in Fazilka and Kapurthala districts, Khudian directed the agriculture officials to conduct regular inspections of the affected fields and collaborate with other departments and district administration to ensure prompt water drainage to mitigate crop damage.