PUNSEED to provide 25,000 Quintal seed to flood hit farmers
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab State Seeds Corporation will provide approximately 25,000 Quintal high quality seed of the wheat crop to the flood hit farmers, for upcoming Rabi season, informed the official spokesman of the State Government.
He said that as per the initial crop damage reports, hundred percent crop damage has been reported in about 25000 hectares of farm land. Going by an average, nearly one quintal seed is required per hectare. So, State Government has made an arrangement to provide 25,000 quintals of seed through PUNSEED. Further seed disbursement, if required, would be made subject to the final damage report.
Extending a major relief to the farmers of the flood affected villages, the high quality seed of the wheat crop which costs around Rs. 3000/- per quintal, taking the cost of initial seed requirement to the tune of Rs.7.50 crore, will be provided free of cost to the affected farmers.
The spokesman said that the basic motive of this gesture is to extend a helping hand to the farmers in this hour of crisis. He said that the farmers would be provided high yielding varieties of seed as besides their standing crops, the flood water also destroyed the seeds stored by the food growers for the ensuing Rabi season.
This would be a great support to the farmers of about 30 villages of Shahkot subdivision of Jalandhar district which submerged in the flood water.
He said that state government is fully sensitive towards the plight of the farmers in the marooned villages and extend all help to them.
He informed that the Agriculture Department would provide crop damage compensation to the farmers after the loss is ascertained in special girdawari. Necessary directions have been passed on to the Agriculture Department for ensuring this relief to the farmers, said he.
