Farmers to apply for 33% subsidy on cotton seeds till May 31 in Punjab

Published on: 17 May 2023 at 11:07 AM

Published by: thefactnews

The Fact News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

The state government has extended the date to apply for 33% subsidy on cotton seeds till May 31. Due to delay in harvesting of wheat, sowing of the key kharif crop has also been hit. So far, sowing has been completed on 1.30 lakh hectares, 44% of the 2023-24 kharif season’s target of 3 lakh hectares.

More than 50,000 farmers have registered themselves for the subsidy on cotton seeds to date. Last year, the area under cotton crop was 2.47 lakh hectares. Official sources said ample subsidy registration has come as a breather indicating farmers are ready to grow cotton instead of failed crops in the last two years.

“As average rates of raw cotton remained much higher than the MSP in the past two seasons, farmers are reposing their faith in the state government’s preparedness for the cash crop. Initially, it was apprehended that several cotton-growers may switch over to paddy wherever irrigation facilities are available, but the trends of subsidy registration and sowing acreage reflect the farmers’ interest in cotton crop,” said a functionary of the state agriculture department.