To enhance the productivity of crops, lessen the use of insecticides and to create awareness among farmers to push the yield, Punjab?s Markefed inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global agri-business firm Syngenta which has its presence in 90 countries.
Under this collaboration the ?productivity enhancement campaign? called ?Nai Kiran? (new hope) in Punjab will be launched initially in five districts?Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Nawanshar, Hoshiarpur and in parts of Jalandhar. Ten villages each will be identified from these districts, where farmers will be given training and education to enhance the productivity.
Under the agreement three joint farmers training centres called ?Krishi Shakti kendra?, will be opened at Gidderbaha, Rajpura and Jalandhar to supply the requisite fertilisers, agro-chemicals and cattle-feed.
Speaking on the occasion, co-operative minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh said, ?Punjab?s agricultural economy is in crisis and the state?s productivity in this sector has gone down. Besides, the input cost of farmers has gone up and insecticides are being overused. In such a scenario there is a need to introduce eco-friendly measures. Moreover by imparting training to farmers, the productivity ?per acre? can be increased?.