Become a guiding light for the farmers, enabling them to opt for crop diversification in Punjab, said the state Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday, making a strong appeal to the agricultural scientists and experts across the world.
The CM made the request addressing the 'International Conference on Transforming AgriFood Systems in the Face of Climate Change and Energy Transitions' at the Punjab Agricultural University here.
Mann emphasised the urgency of addressing climate change's impact on agriculture, especially in the wake of Punjab's vulnerability due to its intensive rice and wheat production.
He said crop diversification is much needed to accelerate resilience, higher yields, and nutrient-rich soil.
The chief minister encouraged the scientists attending the conference to do more and more work for propelling crop diversification in the state.
He said the onus is on the scientists to guide farmers in adopting sustainable practices ensuring Punjab's agricultural prosperity.
Stressing on the urgency of addressing climate change, he said failure to act will have severe consequences for future generations.
Mann said in this case, the coming generations will "undoubtedly hold us accountable for our inaction".
"The clock is ticking and it is imperative for all of us to adopt proactive measures to mitigate the effects of climate change," he said.
Citing the alarming statistic, he said growing one kilogram of rice requires 3,000 litres of water, and the same motors that gush out petrol in gulf countries are used for pumping water from beneath the ground in the state.
Mann said this unsustainable practice threatens the very foundation and existence of Punjab, a state named after five rivers.
To mitigate this crisis, the chief minister advocated adopting alternative water-saving crops so that agriculture could be saved in the state.
Recalling the immense contribution of Punjab in making the country self-reliant in food grain production, he said the hardworking and resilient farmers of the state had provided food security to the country in testing times.
However, Mann said for this, they had to over-exploit their only available natural resources in terms of fertile land and water.
He recalled that Punjab has played a pivotal role in ushering in the green revolution in India and the farmers have transformed Punjab into a surplus state for food grains and contributing significantly to the national food pool.
He further said since agricultural production has reached a stage of plateau, accelerating agricultural diversification through high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables is imperative.
Mann said this shift has the potential to raise farm incomes, ensure sustainability, and provide livelihood security to farmers while also checking climate change.
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