Patiala, June 6 -- Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday asked Punjab's farmers to adopt diversification, asserting that it was the need of the hour to grow crops which give profit as well as consume less water. Referring to the Centre's decision of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, Chouhan said efforts would be made to use the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. He also underlined that the solution to farmers' issues is possible through discussion and dialogue. Under the Centre's 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan', the Union minister visited Kheri Gandiyan village in Rajpura, Patiala, where he met a group of farmers who shared their innovative farming practices, besides apprising him of their problems. Later, Chouhan visited the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Rauni. Chouhan was accompanied by Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal and scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Lauding the role of Punjab farmers in filling the foodgrain stock of the country, Chouhan said the country has registered an all-time record production in wheat, paddy, maize and soybean this year. "For this, the state has the biggest role and I bow to the land of Punjab," said Chouhan. When farmers said alternate crops were purchased below the minimum support price, forcing them to stick to the conventional wheat-paddy cycle, the minister assured them that the Union government would look into the issue of procurement below MSP. Farmer Harwinder Singh Harpalpur said, "When we opt for moong or maize, which are good alternative crops for diversification, we don't get good prices. We have to sell them below the MSP. This needs to be addressed at the earliest." This year, the Centre has increased the MSP for maize to Rs.2,400 for the 2025-2026 season. Urging farmers to opt for the technique of direct seeding of rice (DSR) to conserve groundwater, Chouhan said that groundwater levels in the state have reached dangerous levels. Farmers said that the Centre had failed to ensure adequate di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser ahead of the sowing of paddy and maize and check private players from indulging in black marketing. Khudian said, "I have informed the Union agriculture minister and he has assured supply in the coming days." Khudian said while the requirement was 90,000 metric tonnes, only 39,000 MT has been received so far....