Punjab agriculture minister, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, visited the nearby cotton fields on Tuesday to examine the crop damage from the whitefly & pink bollworm attack.
Dhaliwal said that 230 teams formed by the department assessed the cotton crop in 757 locations, including 370 areas affected by whitefly- and 14 by pink bollworm. He said strict action would be taken against any person found selling counterfeit pesticides or charging higher than the given rates.
Dhaliwal further said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was making special efforts to promote modern methods in agriculture for farmers’ welfare and had banned the use of artificial seeds, fertilizers, and medicines. “We will eradicate every mafia in the agriculture sector. The matter of Gujarati seeds being sold by cheating the farmers of the cotton belt will also be probed,” he added.
Earlier in the District Administrative Complex, the cabinet minister had a special meeting with the representatives of the seven cotton-growing districts in Malwa — Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Fazilka, Barnala, Faridkot, and Sangrur.
Meanwhile, during his visit to the affected areas, Dhaliwal assured the farmers that their crops would not be harmed in any way. He said that marketing of maize and other related commodities, including corn, will receive special attention in order to ensure the success of agricultural diversification.
Speaking to the media, Dhaliwal stated that in order to save the farmers of Punjab from a serious crisis, the state government has done all possible to make agriculture a successful industry and to carry out farming in modern ways.
In response to a question, he stated that on July 27 the teams designated by the department will return to the cotton fields to assess the condition.
In response to a different query, Dhaliwal stated that the Agriculture Department has established a three-person flying squad to combat the pink bollworm and whitefly attack. He said, "A helpline number will also be available soon for the public."
