Punjab’s push for crop diversification has gained momentum, with the area under Kharif maize cultivation rising by 16.27% this season. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the acreage has increased from 86,000 hectares in 2024 to one lakh hectares in 2025.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at his office on Thursday, Minister Gurmeet assessed the progress of maize cultivation and instructed officials to ensure seamless procurement of the crop. He highlighted that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state launched a pilot project to shift 12,000 hectares from paddy to maize in six districts— To motivate farmers, an incentive of ₹17,500 per hectare was announced, along with the appointment of 185 Kisan Mitras to guide cultivators.
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਖੇਤੀਬਾੜੀ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਭਲਾਈ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਖੁੱਡੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਸੂਬਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਫ਼ਸਲੀ ਵਿਭਿੰਨਤਾ ਮੁਹਿੰਮ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੁਲਾਰਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਮੌਜੂਦਾ ਸੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਸਾਉਣੀ ਦੀ ਮੱਕੀ ਅਧੀਨ ਰਕਬੇ ਵਿੱਚ 16.27 ਫ਼ੀਸਦੀ ਵਾਧਾ ਦਰਜ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਸਾਉਣੀ ਦੀ ਮੱਕੀ ਅਧੀਨ ਸਾਲ 2024 ਵਿੱਚ 86,000 ਹੈਕਟੇਅਰ ਰਕਬਾ ਸੀ,… pic.twitter.com/EH11GPZLua
— Government of Punjab (@PbGovtIndia) August 15, 2025
Minister Gurmeet Khudian also directed the formation of district-level committees comprising officials from the Agriculture Department, Punjab Mandi Board, and Markfed to oversee procurement. He urged farmers to bring dry maize to mandis to avoid problems in selling their produce.
Administrative Secretary Agriculture, Dr. Basant Garg, stressed that moisture levels in the crop should not exceed 14%. He instructed Chief Agriculture Officers and field staff to educate farmers about this requirement to ensure smooth procurement and better prices. The meeting was also attended by Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Ramvir, MD Markfed Kumar Amit, Director Agriculture Jaswant Singh, and other senior officials.