The Punjab government extended all support to the team from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT),Mexico,which visited the 200-acre Laddowal Seed Farm offered by the state to set up the Borlaug Institute for South Asia on Sunday. This will be a major agriculture research institute in the country. Deputy Director General,Indian Council of Agricultural Research,Dr S Ayyappan,Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal,Punjab Chief Secretary S C Agarwal,Agriculture Director Balwinder Singh Sidhu,Markfed Managing Director S K Sandhu,Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr M S Kang among other officials were present as the CIMMYT team comprising Director General Dr Thomas Lumpkins and his deputy Dr Scott Ferguson visited the farm. A booklet highlighting the contribution of Punjab in agriculture,infrastructure available in the farm,its physical condition of this farm,its soil health was given to the visiting team. Sidhu made a presentation before the team,while the FM detailed the benefits of setting up the institute at this farm. Vying for this Rs 500-crore project,Punjab has to compete with other states shortlisted by the team Bihar,Haryana and Chhatisgarh. The team will make final recommendations to the Government of India and the CIMMYT in Mexico. In April this year,a delegation from ICAR had visited the seed farm and the final inspection was made on Sunday on its recommendations. Sidhu said: We have presented our case before the visiting team and the FM has extended all support. We showcased the contribution of Punjab farmers in Green Revolution and also told them as to how a wheat variety PBW 343 developed at PAU helped change the face of wheat cultivation in India and neighbouring countries. Punjab is a high productivity area and research developed here can be replicated not only in South Asia but also in parts of USA which fall on the same latitude and longitude. The visiting team put forward queries like connectivity,health and education facilities and the provision of residential space for the staff of the institute.
