Wednesday, September 27 2006 15:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ludhiana: Punjab farmers today (Sept 27, 2006) received tips on enhancing their income from the country's economist-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who advised them to switch to horticulture for better returns.

Addressing a Railway Ministry function here, he said more and more farmers were taking up horticulture.

The Union Government had last year launched a national horticulture mission to promote the sector and set apart Rs 2,300 crore for the remaining period of the Tenth Five-Year Plan for the purpose.

Noting that farmers could now avail of agricultural loans at the rate of 7 per cent per annum, Singh said an expert committee had been set up to redress the problems of farmers.

He also said that new varieties of crops would have to be developed to once again make Punjab a land of milk and honey, adding that its future, however, lay in industrial sector.

Asserting that Punjab could become the leader of a second green revolution, the Prime Minister also detailed different measures taken by the government for farmers' welfare, including a Rs 100-crore assistance to Punjab Agriculture University here.