Punjab becomes the first state in India to start a biofertilizer laboratory

Bhagwant Mann government is committed to increase the income of farmers: Chetan Singh Jaudamajra

 Chandigarh -03-02-2023

With an aim of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to bring the latest horticultural techniques to farmers’ fields and to make horticultural crops competitive at the international level, the Minister of Welfare of Freedom fighters, defense services welfare and Food Processing, Punjab inaugurated the Biofertilizer Laboratory under Horticulture Department at Citrus Estate, Hoshiarpur today.

 Jaudamajra said that this laboratory has been built at a cost of 2.50 crore rupees under Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Yojana to reduce the cost of chemical fertilizers of the landlords in the state and to protect the soil from contamination from chemical fertilizers.

  The minister said that in this laboratory, 10 types of organic fertilizers such as (Azotobacter Carrier based, PSB Carrier Based, Azotobacter liquid formulation, PSB liquid formulation, Potassium solubilizing bacteria) have been produced in this laboratory through an MoU with ICAR-IARI.  KSB) liquid formulation, Zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) liquid formulation, NPK providing liquid formulation, AM fungi, IARI Compost inoculant, Trichoderma virdi) will be prepared, which will be made available to the farming community at district level at reasonable rates as per demand.  Apart from this, the horticulture department will also provide necessary technical information to the landlords regarding the use of these organic fertilizers by organizing awareness camps.

Jaudamajra said that according to the information received from the Indian government agency ICAR-IARI, the use of chemical fertilizers can be reduced by 15-20% with the use of organic fertilizers prepared from this state-of-the-art laboratory, which directly increases the income of the landlord.

 The minister made it clear that the state of Punjab has become the first such state in India, which has established this state-of-the-art biofertilizer laboratory to protect the soil, water and air of the state from contamination and to increase the income of the landlords.

Jaudamajra appealed to the entire farming community to use the organic fertilizers prepared at this laboratory in their fields so that the environment can be protected from contamination.

On this occasion Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Minister of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Punjab appreciated this initiative of Horticulture Department and described it as a beneficial step for the farmers.

At the time of inauguration  Jai Kishan Singh Rodi, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Minister of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Punjab, Mr.  Karamveer Singh Ghuman, MLA, Dasuha, S.  Ravjot Singh, MLA, Sam Churasi, s.  Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, MLA, Urmur, Ms. Komal Mittal, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, Mr. Jaswinder Singh, Ms. Shalindar Kaur, IFS, Director Horticulture, Deputy Director Horticulture  , Hoshiarpur, Dr.  Balwinder Singh, Assistant Director Horticulture-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Citrus Estate, Hoshiarpur, Shri Jaspal Singh, Assistant Director Horticulture-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Citrus Estate, Bhunga, Shri Vikram Verma, Horticulture Development Officer-cum-Laboratory Incharge,  Citrus Estate, Hoshiarpur etc. Other dignitaries were involved.