Agriculture department to provide farmers solar system at subsidised rates

The Punjab agriculture department has launched a scheme to provide solar system on discount rate to farmers for running drip irrigation system over an area of 20,000 acres of land in the province. The same project is also providing tunnels for promotion of sowing of off-season vegetables, said a spokesman of the department here on Wednesday. The spokesman said the provincial government was trying to promote drip irrigation system to offset the negative impact of shortage of water and climate change. It would also help increase the profit of growers, he added.
He said the province receive good amount of sunlight for 300 days a year for eight hours a day. It could be utilised to run solar power drip irrigation system which would also promote efficient use of water.