The Punjab government is in the process of constituting three development boards for motivating farmers in the state to grow maize and cotton as alternate crops and encourage plantation of litchi fruit.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has given nod to set up these boards under his Chairmanship with Agriculture Minister as Vice Chairman besides 12 members of Maize Development Board, 11 members of Cotton Development Board and eight members of Litchi Development Board, an official spokesman said here today.
The Maize and Cotton Development Boards would have 10 progressive farmers and three representatives of processing industry each in the state to be nominated by Financial Commissioner, Development, as members.
The term of the membership would be three years, while in the case of the Litchi Development Board 10 progressive litchi growers would be nominated as members for same term, he said.
Among other things, the Boards have been mandated to examine and review the status of cultivation of cotton/maize crops and litchi fruit in the state and to suggest measures for their development; to coordinate the activities the Research and Development for improving their productivity and production and upgrade their quality through propagation of appropriate crop production technology.