Punjab: Chilli Development Centre is being set up at a cost of Rs 59 lakh under the Aspiring District Programme of Niti Aayog to promote cross diversification in the border district that has emerged as the largest vegetable producer in the state. Giving information, DC Deepshikha Sharma said that this centre will revolutionise the fast-growing chilli cultivation area of the district, which has seen a significant increase from 805 hectares in 2017-18 to 2,732 hectares in 2024-25. “This initiative is an important step to increase the income and agricultural productivity of farmers here,” the DC said. She said that the centre will provide comprehensive support to farmers under one roof, thereby strengthening the entire value chain of chilli production in the region. According to information, this district which has been the leading producer of chilli in the state has been adopted under the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) programme. The DC said Ferozepur is particularly conducive for horticulture development, where out of the total 2,04,000 hectares of sown area, 19,233 hectares is devoted to horticultural crops. This includes 1,119 hectares of fruit crops, 16,429 hectares of vegetable crops, 56 hectares of flower crops and 1,629 hectares of spices and aromatic crops. Horticulture officer Simran Singh said they have been actively promoting crop diversification for the last five years, encouraging farmers to turn to other cash crops from traditional wheat cultivation. The official said chilli cultivation has emerged as a water-saving alternative, with a crop cycle from October to July suitable for short-duration rice varieties in the next Kharif season. He said the centre will provide farming techniques and expert guidance besides quality seeds and input support services with direct market linkage opportunities.
Ferozepur: A state-of-the-art chilli development centre to be built
