Posted on Sat , 8 Dec '12

Asserting that the government's decision to allow FDI in retail was strongly supported by farmer organisations in Punjab, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today said that it will benefit the farmers, consumers and the country. He also said that the challenge before Punjab is how to maximise farm income while adopting a more sustainable strategy for water use and this definitely calls for a change in the rice-wheat cropping pattern, which at present covers more than 80 percent of cropped area. Singh further said that Punjab cannot and should not continue over-exploiting its ground water to support rice cultivation. Diversification out of rice is therefore essential.