Chandigarh, April 6 The Punjab government has finalized an annual action plan of ₹1,388 crore to implement various projects of the agriculture department in 2026-27, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Monday.
Chairing a meeting to review projects here, Khudian said the action plan, which has already been submitted to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for approval, places special emphasis on crop residue management, water conservation, diversification, and natural farming.
The largest single allocation of ₹600 crore has been earmarked under the crop residue management (CRM) scheme to address the issue of farm fires, Khudian said, adding that "our goal is to provide farmers with in-situ and ex-situ machinery at subsidized rates to ensure a permanent solution to stubble burning".
To address depleting water tables, ₹33.33 crore has been allocated for the 'Per Drop More Crop' component, which will promote efficient water application devices such as drip irrigation systems, sprinklers, and rain guns.
A sum of ₹51.85 crore will go towards seed improvement and cotton demonstration projects, and ₹95 crore has been allocated under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) to boost farm efficiency, he said.
He further stated that ₹50.30 crore has been set aside for crop diversification to encourage farmers to shift from water-intensive paddy cultivation to maize, pulses, and oilseeds.
In line with the national push for chemical-free agriculture, ₹8.25 crore has been proposed for natural farming.