Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjab Agriculture sees record cane price, drop in farm fires and shift to diversified crops in 2025
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 24, 2025: Punjab recorded major changes in its agricultural sector in 2025, with higher farmer remuneration, reduced stubble burning and expanded crop diversification, according to data shared by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian.
The state announced a State Agreed Price (SAP) of ₹416 per quintal for sugarcane, the highest in the country, marking an increase of ₹15 over last year. This made Punjab farmers the most remunerated sugarcane growers nationwide.
Environmental indicators also showed improvement, with farm fire incidents dropping by 53 percent during the Kharif season. Official figures show 5,114 cases this year compared to 10,909 in 2024.
The decline is linked to the availability of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery, with over 1.58 lakh machines provided on subsidy since 2018 and more than 16,000 sanctioned in 2025 alone.
Crop diversification efforts expanded during the year. The area under cotton cultivation increased by 20 percent to 1.19 lakh hectares, supported by a 33 percent subsidy on recommended BT cotton seeds. More than 52,000 farmers registered for the subsidy.
Water conservation measures also gained traction. The area under Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), incentivised at ₹1,500 per acre, rose by 17 percent—from 2.53 lakh acres in 2024 to 2.96 lakh acres in 2025—aimed at reducing groundwater depletion. Basmati cultivation rose marginally to 6.90 lakh hectares.
In an effort to reduce dependence on paddy, a pilot crop diversification project was implemented in six districts—Bathinda, Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Pathankot—where over 11,000 acres were shifted from paddy to Kharif maize. Farmers received incentives of ₹17,500 per hectare, along with additional input support and subsidised maize seeds in select districts.
The developments mark a year of measurable shifts in Punjab’s farming patterns, focusing on income, sustainability and resource conservation.