Chandigarh, April 20 -- Punjab government has decided to provide a 33% subsidy on Bt cotton hybrid seeds recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Saturday.

He said that a sum of Rs.20 crore has been allocated for the subsidy programme and would reduce the financial burden on cotton growers, while simultaneously discouraging the cultivation of non-recommended hybrids to enable them to adopt high-yielding and pest-resistant Bt cotton hybrid seeds.

"The agriculture department has fixed a target to increase the cotton crop area to at least 1.25 lakh hectares this year. Cotton, a crucial kharif crop in the southwestern districts of the state, presents a viable alternati...