New Delhi, 13 May (H.S.):

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhavan here on Wednesday. Mann discussed several key issues with Chouhan concerning Punjab’s farmers, water conservation, crop diversification and the long‑term sustainability of agriculture in the state. Chouhan made it clear that the central government will work with Punjab to formulate concrete strategies that benefit farmers, make farming sustainable, conserve water and soil, and preserve Punjab’s rich agricultural legacy for future generations.

Chouhan said that Punjab is not merely a state but a bulwark of the nation’s food security. He paid tribute to Punjab’s resilient people, noting that whenever the country has faced a crisis, Punjab has shouldered the burden first; for this reason, the state remains a symbol of national pride and honour.

He described the meeting as highly constructive, substantive and solution‑oriented, with crop diversification emerging as the most important topic. Punjab’s soil is so fertile that many alternative crops can be successfully cultivated in place of paddy. He said the time has come to vigorously promote alternatives to paddy‑based cultivation to protect Punjab from water stress and land degradation.

The agriculture minister warned that preventing Punjab’s drift toward desertification is a shared responsibility. He said the state — known as the land of the “Five Rivers” — must be kept water‑rich in keeping with its name, and that decisive measures to conserve water are essential. He added that broad consensus has been reached between the central and Punjab governments on this issue and that both will move forward together.

Chouhan said that whether it is the Cotton Mission, the Pulses Mission, the Oilseeds Mission or programmes for horticulture, the Centre and Punjab will work in partnership. He stressed that the Modi government’s intent is clear: crop diversification must be an opportunity, not a burden, for farmers.

Arrangements will be put in place so that farmers do not incur losses, can gain from new crops, conserve water, restore soil health and effectively meet the challenges posed by climate change. He welcomed the fact that Punjab is meeting the targets set for wheat procurement and is once again playing a crucial role by supplying roughly 12.5 million metric tonnes of wheat to the national pool.

Chouhan emphasised that whenever the country has faced a shortage of food or any other challenge, Punjab has stood in the front line to help the nation. Therefore, addressing the concerns of Punjab’s farmers, understanding their needs and extending all possible support to them is both the central government’s duty and its priority.

The meeting also included detailed discussions on other demands raised by Punjab. Chouhan said the central government will act with full sensitivity and commitment to ensure that Punjab secures maximum benefit under various central missions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar