Rangla Punjab 
Punjab

Punjab’s Crop Diversification Boost: Kharif Maize Area Tops 1 Lakh Hectares, Up 16.27%

The vision of “Rangla Punjab” is not limited to merely beautifying cities, but its true meaning lies in healing the earth and prospering the farmers.

The vision of “Rangla Punjab” is not limited to merely beautifying cities, but its true meaning lies in healing the earth and prospering the farmers. For years, Punjab’s farmers were trapped in a vicious cycle of paddy-wheat cultivation. On one hand, excessive paddy cultivation had not only pushed groundwater levels down to dangerous depths, but had also placed farmers under economic stress due to declining income from traditional crops. The only solution to this problem was—crop diversification. The Mann government viewed this challenge as an opportunity and launched a comprehensive campaign to steer farmers away from paddy towards alternative crops requiring less water, especially maize.

A record-breaking growth of 16.27% has been registered in the area under kharif maize cultivation. The area has increased from 86,000 hectares (2024) to 1,00,000 hectares (2025). This is Punjab’s emotional and economic victory in the Crop Diversification campaign. This maize revolution proves that the Mann government’s policies have reached directly to the hearts of farmers, who have made the courageous decision to leave behind fear and tradition and sow future prosperity with less water. This is a movement where every farmer is repaying their debt to Mother Earth and strengthening the new green wave of ‘Rangla Punjab’. The government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has not only accepted the challenge of crop diversification but has transformed it into a widespread people’s movement.

While chairing a high-level review meeting, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Shri Gurmeet Singh Khudian assessed the status of the kharif maize crop and issued directions to ensure smooth procurement. He informed that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has launched an ambitious pilot project in six districts - Bathinda, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot - to convert 12,000 hectares of land from paddy to maize cultivation, with the objective of crop diversification and groundwater conservation. To encourage farmers, the government is offering ₹17,500 per hectare under this pilot project, and 185 Kisan Mitras have been deployed to guide and support farmers during this transition. Farmers adopting this change can be given a subsidy of ₹7,000 per acre. This will benefit approximately 30,000 farmers.

According to provisional data provided by the Agriculture Department, kharif maize was sown in 7,000 hectares or approximately 19,500 acres. According to the information, Pathankot recorded 4,100 acres, which is the highest provisional figure under the maize subsidy scheme for 2025-26, followed by Sangrur (3,700), Bathinda (3,200), Jalandhar (3,100), Kapurthala (2,800) and Gurdaspur (2,600). Overall, kharif maize cultivation across the state remained unchanged from the previous season at approximately 80,000 hectares or 1.98 lakh acres.

For smooth procurement, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Shri Gurmeet Singh Khudian has ordered the formation of district-level committees of officials from the Agriculture Department, Punjab Mandi Board and Markfed. He urged farmers to bring dry maize to the mandis to avoid difficulties in selling their produce. Administrative Secretary Agriculture Dr. Basant Garg emphasized that the moisture content should not exceed 14%, and instructed Chief Agriculture Officers and field staff to make farmers aware to obtain better prices in the market. The meeting was attended by Shri Ramvir (Secretary, Punjab Mandi Board), Shri Kumar Amit (MD, Markfed), Shri Jaswant Singh (Director, Agriculture) along with other senior departmental officials.

When flourishing maize crops are visible on 14,000 hectares of additional land, the belief awakens that change is possible. Every farmer who is growing maize by leaving paddy is actually repaying their debt to Mother Earth, saving groundwater, and leaving a prosperous legacy for the next generation. The Mann government is accelerating crop diversification and water conservation by promoting maize cultivation in Punjab. Maize cultivation consumes less water and is more profitable compared to rice, which gives farmers higher income and helps avoid excessive water usage.

The maize revolution proves that when the government provides farmers with the guarantee of MSP and the shield of economic security with honest intentions, farmers are ready to leave fear behind and make bold decisions. This is the first major step towards Punjab’s emotional liberation, which is freeing the state from paddy dependency and leading it towards a balanced and prosperous agricultural model. This shows that the government’s policies are being implemented on the ground and farmers are now willingly accepting change. This maize revolution proves that when government and farmers stand together, no matter how big the challenge, success is certain. The foundation of ‘Rangla Punjab’ is now being strengthened by this new green wave.

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