Punjab govt may buy maize from two districts in 2018.

Punjab government considering procurement of maize on minimum support price (MSP) pattern in two districts of the state in 2018 to start the process of diversification from the standard crop cycle of wheat and paddy. Addressing a national seminar on Agribusiness Potential of Punjab State at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID). The state government is determined to look at diversifying agriculture in Punjab. We are in talks with the Centre to see if, somehow, paddy production could be tapered off. There could be some sunset clause in growing of paddy. And for that, we need to switch to maize. The ground water levels going down rapidly in Punjab, it was being forecast that the state would run dry in nine years if the state did not move away from paddy.