“Vegetable Initiative in Urban Cluster”,

The Punjab Government today introduced a special scheme, “Vegetable Initiative in Urban Cluster”, for cultivation and marketing of vegetables in order to encourage farmers towards diversification. Disclosing this here today, Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah said 15 farmers could make a group, who would cultivate a crop on 20 hectares, besides also do the marketing.
He said the government would provide a subsidy of Rs 2 lakh for crop cultivation while 50 per cent subsidy would also be given on the processing equipments.
Langah said the scheme would be introduced in five districts, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Sangrur in the first phase, which would be further implemented across the state, while Ludhiana would be the centre of the scheme. He said the Government would also facilitate the farmers with the marketing facilities, so they could make the scheme a success without any obstacle. The Minister said the Government will give subsidies and grants to farmers on the basis of their cluster areas and groups. He said another subsidy of Rs 22,500 to 33,700 would be given for the cultivation of crop per hectare.
He added that farmers could also get a subsidy of Rs 2.10 lakh for poly and net houses for vegetable cultivation and 50 per cent subsidy would also be given on 4,000 square metre area.